Wild Chamomile

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Wild Chamomile, a culinary herb with daisylike flowers that are dried and brewed as a soothing tea reputed to aid indigestion, calm muscle spasms, and relieve the pain and swelling of arthritis. A member of the composite flower family, it is also called sweet false chamomile and German chamomile, to distinguish it from the closely related true or Roman chamomile. Wild chamomile is native to the temperate regions of Europe and western Asia. It has become naturalized in North America, where it grows wild. It grows best in poor, sandy soil in full sun.

Wild chamomile is an annual, a plant that lives only one growing season. It reaches about 60 to 75 cm (about 2 to 2.5 ft) in height and has an upright, branching main stem. The bright green leaves, about 5.5 cm (about 2.2 in) long, are strongly apple-scented and finely divided, resembling fern leaves. The flowerhead is about 2.5 cm (about 1 in) in diameter. The yellow center of the flowerhead, which consists of disk flowers, is hollow and shaped like a cone. White petal-like ray flowers surround the center and curve slightly downward. Wild chamomile blooms all summer.

In addition to its medicinal use, wild chamomile is used as a fungicide for controlling a fungal disease that causes young seedlings to rot at the surface of the soil. It is also grown as a garden plant for its scented, attractive leaves and flowers. It has also been called “physician’s plant,” because it is reputed to restore vigor to ailing plants if it is planted beside them. However, because it produces abundant seeds, it can become a troublesome weed if the flowerheads are not removed after they bloom. The flowers are an ingredient in herbal shampoos and can be used to make a yellow dye.

Scientific classification: Wild chamomile belongs to the Asteroideae subfamily of the family Asteraceae (formerly Compositae). The most widely recognized scientific name for wild chamomile is Matricaria recutita, although some sources refer to it as Matricaria chamomilla and others as Chamomilla recutita.

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