Chamomile

Chamomile is a fragrant herb that creates a wonderful ground cover and can be used to create lovely, low maintenance lawns. It is easy to grow and when used to create a lawn, is far easier to maintain than a regular grass one. Chamomile is also used to make a calming tea and has other kitchen and household uses.

Growing chamomile:

Whether you are planting a whole lawn or simply a small patch in your herb garden, chamomile is best planted somewhere with full sun or light, dappled shade. In deeper shade than that, chamomile can sometimes get a bit patchy and growth can be erratic.

Chamomile likes a light soil that is very well draining – a sandy loam is ideal. Though very dry or very stony conditions are not perfect as some moisture is required. If you have heavy clay soil then unfortunately chamomile is not for you unless you grow it in a container with the right conditions.

Chamomile should be planted in the spring but before you create your chamomile lawn or patch, some preparation is required. The area must be completely weed free or the area will quickly become a weedy mess. If you are planting a large area then this stage is particularly important. It would not be a good idea to plant a chamomile lawn anywhere than there is a problem with perennial weeds as this would simply create more problems than it was worth. With organic gardening, obviously weed killers are not applied. A few annual weeds, when they appear, can simply be removed with a bit of casual weeding.

When creating a lawn, space plants around 10-20cm apart, depending on how big the specimens that you have purchased are. Creating such a lawn is expensive as this means that you will need close to 100 plants per square metre, though some would say that the lovely fragrance alone is worth the money and effort. Costs would be brought down were you to grow chamomile from seed, growing them on in pots before planting them in their final position. You must not walk on the chamomile lawn for at least three months and in any case, these lawns are not particularly durable and should only be used in low footfall areas.

Even if a whole lawn is not suitable for you, you could still enjoy a smaller patch of chamomile, which can be used to make home-made herbal teas or simply enjoyed near a seating area for their calming fragrance.

Why grow chamomile in the garden?

Chamomile is a delightful herb grown mainly for its scent. The teas that can be made from chamomile are an especial delight to the home herbalist and the ground cover can look good and cover soil in a sunny spot.

Quick Facts

Latin Name
Chamaemelum nobile