Chamomile

I’m sowing & scattering seeds all around my garden right now, including everything from wildflowers & herbs to attract beneficial insects as well as a wide range of medicinal herbs for my homegrown apothecary. Chamomile is one of my favorites and is very easy to grow.

There are many different kinds of chamomile, but the two most commonly used medicinally are German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) and Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile).

The name Chamomile comes from the Greek words chamos, meaning ground, and melos, meaning apple. A rather lovely description of a plant that grows close to the earth and whose fresh flowers have a faint, sweet scent reminiscent of ripe apples.

Chamomile is best known as a gentle, calming herb for the nervous system. It has traditionally been used for restlessness, irritability, anxiety, agitation and difficulty sleeping. It has a relaxing quality without being a strong sedative, making it a lovely herb to reach for when the mind is busy and the body needs to unwind.

And it isn't just the nervous system that benefits.

Chamomile is an antispasmodic herb, meaning it helps relax smooth muscle and can be useful for cramps and spasms. Traditionally it has been used for digestive cramping, colic, bloating, trapped wind, nausea and digestive upsets, particularly those brought on or made worse by tension and stress.

This connection between the nervous system and digestion is one of the things I love about chamomile. Sometimes a tense mind creates a tense stomach, and chamomile can gently work on both.

It is also a lovely cooling and anti-inflammatory plant. Chamomile has traditionally been used externally for irritated, inflamed and itchy skin, rashes and minor skin complaints. A strong tea can be used as a wash or compress, while chamomile-infused oil makes a beautiful, soothing addition to natural skincare. You’ll find my last jars of a gentle Elderflower + Chamomile infused moisturiser on my website in my Botanical Skincare range.

Medicinally, chamomile is considered antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, nervine, digestive, carminative, relaxant, diaphoretic and gently bitter.

I used to give my children chamomile tea when they were babies, and when they were older I sometimes used a chamomile tincture to help them settle, relax and prepare for sleep. And it isn't just for children. Chamomile has been a traditional bedtime herb for generations, which is probably why you'll find it in so many commercially made 'sleep' and 'bedtime' teas.

Even Peter Rabbit would probably approve of a cup before bed.

Chamomile has a long history of use too. It was valued in Ancient Egypt, where chamomile was used in skincare and has been found in embalming preparations associated with Egyptian mummies. Its soothing qualities made it a useful plant for both beauty and medicine.

Chamomile is a fantastic companion plant in the garden. It’s flowers attract beneficial insects and it’s said to improve the health of plants growing nearby.

If you'd like to learn more about using plants like Chamomile for everyday health and wellbeing, my Grassroots Herbalism ~ A Practical Guide to Homegrown & Foraged Herbal Medicine is a great place to start. It explores how to work with the plants growing all around us, with practical information on their medicinal properties and how to make your own simple herbal remedies.