How to Grow Chamomile in Containers

German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is the most common chamomile that you’ll find at nurseries and home improvement stores. It is an annual shrub grown for its sweet flowers that are most often used as a relaxing tea.

I started growing German chamomile in 2019 when my mum was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. I was looking for a way to calm my nerves, deal with my grief, and do both of those things in the most graceful way I could.

When I say that growing chamomile changed my life I’m not exaggerating. First, it got me outside and gardening again. I work outside as a part of my job, but that is not relaxing outside time. Second, growing my own tea introduced me to the loose leaf tea world. Do you have any idea how many more varieties of tea there are when you switch to loose leaf? That English breakfast tea you find in the grocery store is disgusting once you start ordering blueberry black tea from a small tea vendor. That is not even taking into account all of the different minerals and vitamins you can add into your diet by accident when you start adding new herbs to your tea infuser. Finally, once you try fresh chamomile you will never go back to the prepackaged stuff at the store. Did you know that chamomile tea is supposed to have an apple or pear undertone? When you drink a cup of tea with fresh chamomile that flavor is potent and when you dry your own flowers those undertones are still much stronger than those in store bought packets.

Ok, enough of my story, how do you grow your own chamomile tea? Note, this post is about German chamomile, not Roman chamomile. Roman chamomile has similar requirements from what I understand, but it is a perennial in warmer climates and I don’t know how it would do in containers.

How to Grow German Chamomile

I grow my chamomile in containers.

When grown in containers:

You can grow it anywhere
It won’t take over your garden – the little seeds in this plant go everywhere
It makes a good small companion plant in bigger pots

How to grow in containers:

Sun: This herb grows best in full sun.
Moisture: This herb needs moderate watering. Keep the soil moist but not wet. I normally wait until I see the herb wilt (this is very obvious) and then I will give it a deep water from below. These flowers do not do well in a summer drought situation.
Soil: You can use any “normal” potting mix for this herb.
Pot Size: I started with a long narrow pot about 36” x 8”. Since then I have used 10” round pots and just stuck plants in my planters with other fruits, herbs and vegetables. Chamomile does not need a pot more than about 6 inches deep.
Planting/Propagating: This plant is started by seed. I highly recommend the winter sowing method, but you can also direct sow the seeds or start your seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost. You can also buy plants at the store!
Yearly Maintenance: This plant is an annual so it does not require year to year maintenance. BUT, if you want free plants next year make sure you let some of the flowers go to seed.
Winterizing: The adult plants will die come winter. But I frequently have seeds germinate in the fall and then survive the winter to create big strong plants come spring.
Pruning/Harvesting: Harvest flowers throughout the summer by snipping just the flower off the top of the stems. You can also use your fingers. The more you harvest, the more flowers you will get, but I will say those flowers will get smaller in size as the summer progresses. That being said, size doesn’t matter! Big or small homegrown chamomile is all the same amount of tasty.
Preserving: You can place the flowers on a screen or basket dry or use a food dehydrator.

Using chamomile is very easy. You simply pluck the flowers off of the plant and use them either fresh or dried.

You can also very easily grow chamomile in the ground. Just find some moist well-draining soil in full sun. It doesn’t need to be super nutrient dense.

Using German Chamomile

The most common way to use chamomile is in tea, but It can also be put in creams, essential oils, ointments and tinctures. It is generally considered safe for adults and children alike. As always, consult with your doctor if you plan on regularly using herbal remedies or when using herbal remedies instead of seeking “conventional” medicine.

It is widely regarded as an herb that will:

Relax you
Promote sleep
Aid in stomach pain, indigestion, gas, bloating and acidity
Soothe skin
Aid with hay fever and asthma

Consider making yourself a cup of tea tonight while trying to unwind after your work day.

Chamomile Tea

Steep 1 tsp of dried flowers or 2 tsp of fresh flowers in 1 cup of boiling water. Tastes best warm but can also add a complex dynamic to floral iced teas.

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