I love growing chamomile for tea. Not only do the plants produce beautiful ornamental blooms in the garden, those daisy-like flowers can be dried and enjoyed in a hot cuppa. It was a university roommate who introduced me to the soothing digestive properties of dried chamomile flowers—and I’ve been drinking it ever since. If you brew it often, it makes sense economically to grow your own plants. And you can use the whole flowers. Often tea brands pulverize the flowers into dust. You can also package, label, and give small batches of your dried chamomile flowers as gifts.

What’s more, no matter which variety you choose to plant, chamomile is also just plain pretty. Bees, butterflies, and various beneficial insects love it, and it performs really well as a companion plant for brassicas and other veggies. In this article, I’m going to explain how to grow chamomile from seed, as well as how to harvest it for drying.

The type of chamomile to grow for tea

As plant names go, “chamomile” can be a little confusing, because, technically, there are multiple types of chamomile out there. For instance, you may have heard of German chamomile (Matricaria recutita), Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile), or even Dyer’s chamomile. They’re each in the daisy family and they all produce dainty, daisy-like flowers. When it comes to growing chamomile for tea though, German chamomile is the one you’ll want to grow.

Here’s a quick look at the differences between these chamomiles:

• German chamomile: This annual grows two to three feet tall and produces fruit-scented flowers from late spring through early fall.
• Roman chamomile: A perennial that can thrive in USDA Hardiness zones 5 through 9, Roman chamomile has a shorter, sprawling habit. It’s well-suited for use around rock gardens and any low-traffic expanses you’d rather not have to mow. It also has a sweeter apple scent than its German counterpart.
• Dyer’s chamomile: Also called “Golden Marguerite,” dyer’s chamomile is a hardy perennial that natural dye aficionados use to make a sunny yellow dye.

Why you should be growing chamomile for tea

Chamomile tea contains active chemical compounds that can help soothe upset stomachs, ease anxiety and insomnia, reduce inflammation, and more. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been drinking it for years. (Of course, you could just as easily be growing chamomile for tea because you simply enjoy the flavor!) If you drink a lot of herbal tea, growing your own makes sense economically. Plus you’ll know exactly where and how your herbs have been raised, harvested, dried, and stored.

Besides the dried flowers’ many restorative properties, your chamomile plants attract pollinators as well as beneficial insects like ladybugs and tachinid flies. These, in turn, will go after insect pests, such as aphids and cabbage worms, making chamomile especially good for companion planting with cabbage, kale, and other brassicas.

When to plant chamomile

After all danger of frost has passed, you can start your chamomile plants from seed by direct sowing them outdoors. You’re likely to get better results if you sow your chamomile seeds indoors as early as two months before your last average frost date. The seedlings take awhile to grow. Then, you can harden off and transplant your seedlings as long as conditions are warm enough and your plants have at least two sets of true leaves.

Planting chamomile from seed

Chamomile seeds are tiny. In fact, 1,000 chamomile seeds only weigh about 0.15 grams! Since they need light to germinate, you don’t want to cover the seeds with potting mix or place them too deep inside your pots or seed-starting tray. Instead, just moisten the potting mix thoroughly and sprinkle the seeds on top. If you like, you can gently press the seeds into the soil, so that they make good contact. But, again, take care not to cover them.

To help speed germination, you can position your trays on top of a seedling heat mat. This will keep the soil temperature consistently warm—for German chamomile, 60 to 70°F (15.5 to 21°C) is a good range. Finally, keep the soil moist and you should begin to see germination begin in about a week. I am really liking this seedling sprayer.

Planting chamomile transplants

Choosing the right spot for your seedlings is paramount when you’re growing chamomile for tea. Although the herb can tolerate partial shade, full sun—or something close to it—is best if you want lots of blooms. Also, the amount and intensity of sunlight your plants receive can impact the quality of the volatile chemical compounds ultimately contained in your tea.

Your chamomile patch doesn’t need to be terribly nutrient-rich, as this herb tolerates poor soils. That said, the plants are sensitive to both overwatering and periods of drought. Shallowly rooted chamomile requires a well-draining environment with the right mix of moisture and oxygen. (Want to improve the structure of your soil? Amend the planting bed with some finished compost before you plant.)

For the greatest yields of flowers and essential oil, space plants about one foot apart. One more thing: German chamomile is an annual that will self-seed. That means, with any luck, you should have some volunteer plants popping up next season. I’ve had it happen a couple of times in my raised beds.

How to care for the plants when growing chamomile for tea

If you’re growing chamomile for tea, you don’t want to douse your plants with a harsh chemical fertilizer or pesticides. After all, you’ll be ingesting these herbs at some point. So, particularly when your plants are still small, conduct pest patrols and hand-pick any aphids or other intruders you find. You should also weed around young plants to reduce competition. Then, as plants become established, you’ll need to do less and less of both.

Harvesting chamomile flowers for tea

Since you’re growing chamomile for tea, you’ll probably want to maximize its flavor and maybe its medicinal properties, too. As it happens, when and how you choose to harvest this herb can affect its taste and overall potency. Partly, the amount of essential oils contained in your plants’ flower heads fluctuates depending on factors like ambient temperature and the amount of sunlight they’ve been exposed to.

To harvest chamomile at its most potent, pick flowers that are nearly in full bloom. Take care to leave the flower’s stem, leaves, and any nearby buds intact, so you don’t miss out on these extra chamomile flowers as they mature over the coming days. Also, if possible, avoid harvesting from stands of wet plants.

How to dry chamomile

Bring just-harvested flowers inside and spread them out in a single layer to dry either inside a plant drying rack or on the individual trays of a food dehydrator. (If you go this route, use your dehydrator’s lowest heat setting, in order to preserve your flowers’ beneficial properties.) Most of the time, I hang bunches of chamomile and other herbs from the curtain rod in my dining room. Once it has dried completely, store your dried chamomile flowers in an airtight, plastic container or jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Making chamomile tea

Growing chamomile for tea is one thing, but how exactly should you brew it? For best results, use a combination teapot with tea infuser to keep the plant matter out of your mug. Alternatively, you can also use a loose tea strainer for small batches or compostable tea bags. To make a cup of mild chamomile tea, pour one cup of boiling water over one tablespoon of dried flowers. Cover the cup, let steep for at least five minutes, and enjoy.

More herb-growing tips

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• Cilantro
• Thyme
• Lemon balm
• Mitsuba
• Shiso