HarvestingIn June, July, August and SeptemberPick Roman chamomile flowers
Harvest fresh-open flowers on a dry morning and dry promptly in a single layer. Frequent picking keeps flowers coming and improves tea quality.
Roman Chamomile
Chamaemelum nobile
Family Asteraceae
Roman chamomile is the tea you can walk on — a low, creeping mat of ferny, apple-scented foliage that releases fragrance underfoot between stepping stones, then offers up little flowers for the teapot. Unlike its annual German cousin, this one stays, a true perennial carpet.
It settles into sunny, well-drained edges, path joints, and the fabled herb lawn, blooming for the bees from summer into fall. One note: ragweed-allergic folks can react to it, so sample gently. For everyone else, homegrown chamomile tea starts with a single planted mat.
Full Sun to Part Shade
Low water
Moderate growth
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing roman chamomile? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries roman chamomile — Chamaemelum nobile, print Nº 401, “Roman Chamomile.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
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Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what roman chamomile actually needs.
Hardy inZones 4-9Roman Chamomile · Common problems
Common roman chamomile problems
Pests, diseases and weather to keep an eye on.
Pests
1 problem on file
- Aphids (minor)
Diseases
2 problems on file
- Root Rot in wet soil
- Powdery Mildew
Roman Chamomile · Growing & propagation
Growing roman chamomile
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
What it needsThe details
- Light
- Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water
- Low-Moderate
Soil- Well-drained, average to sandy · pH 6.0 - 7.5
Fertilizer- Low
Avoid rich lush growth
Pruning- After bloom
Shear lightly after flowering to keep a tight mat; divide tired patches.
Spacing- 6-12 in
How to plant & propagate roman chamomile
- Propagate
- Division or seed
Roman Chamomile · Seasonal care & spray guidance
The roman chamomile growing playbook
Field-tested instructions for every job roman chamomile asks of you, compiled from university extension guidance — in the order the season brings them.
When to spray roman chamomile
Growing season. Improve drainage and airflow.
Through summer
the growing season
1 jobHarvestingIn June, July, August and SeptemberRoman Chamomile · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Calculators for the figures. Field guides for the hands-on work.
Roman Chamomile · Yearly calendar
The roman chamomile year, month by month
What roman chamomile asks for, month by month.
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
BloomBloomJune to September
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Roman Chamomile · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Chamaemelum nobile
Roman Chamomile in the garden system
- Groundcover layer perennial
- Nectary/insectary
- Living mulch
Attracts- Bees
Moisture- Upland / dry
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What roman chamomile is grown for
! Some parts toxic — see notesCaution: may trigger ragweed-family allergy or contact dermatitis in sensitive people
- Use
- Tea flowers
- Use
- Fragrant groundcover
- Use
- Herb lawn
- Use
- Pollinators
- Edible value
- 3/5
- Traditional use rating
- 3/5 in herbal tradition
Harvesting & storing roman chamomile
Flowers when freshly open; leaves lightly for aroma.
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Roman Chamomile · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a roman chamomile variety
Match the plant to your climate, season and available space.
Species; 'Treneague' (non-flowering lawn chamomile)
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Roman Chamomile
Chamaemelum nobile
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Chamaemelum nobile
- Plant family
- Asteraceae
- Growth habit
- Perennial
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- CHNO3
- Invasive risk
- Low
- Other names
- Chamaemelum nobile (Anthemis nobilis)
Every garden is different.
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
Explore Roman Chamomile’s sources1 reference link
for Roman Chamomile
for Roman Chamomile
Research from these sources
Publisher marks identify sources, not sponsorship or endorsement.
Questions
Roman Chamomile questions, answered straight.
Is roman chamomile safe for kids and pets?
With care. Caution: may trigger ragweed-family allergy or contact dermatitis in sensitive people Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
When do you harvest roman chamomile?
Flowers when freshly open; leaves lightly for aroma.
How do you propagate roman chamomile?
Division or seed.
Elsewhere
Where roman chamomile sits in the library.
Mint
Thyme
Lemon Thyme
Comfrey