Heart of the Garden

It’s the European Union of HERBS! So English and Roman are the same thing. Let’s just get that out of the way. But German is a whole nuther Genera. So here are the basics:

GERMAN CHAMOMILE

My German chamomile is beautiful in the Spring, but gets out of control by mid-Summer after it blooms. It would work best along a wilder, wider path as a groundcover, not as a specimen taking up precious space in your small front yard. But it’s great to smell the wafts of pineapple from the leaves (all Summer and Fall). It’s an annual, but it’s a prolific self seeder. I actually thought I had the perennial Roman Chamomile.

German Chamomile’s Dating Profile:

• self seeding annual (very prolific and hardy)
• normally used in herbal tea because it has more flowers than Roman chamomile
• soothes irritated skin and promotes tissue regeneration
• tall, straight stems with sparser foliage
• grows two to three feet high – gets rangy if you don’t cut it back after it blooms

One way to tell the flowers apart is thus: the cone in the center of the daisy is solid in Roman Chamomile and hollow in German Chamomile.

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ROMAN / ENGLISH CHAMOMILE

Roman/English Chamomile’s Dating Profile:

• perennial, ground-hugging plant
• grows up to one foot high
• also used for tea
• more effective for bad moods and for other lady problems
• forms a thick, aromatic groundcover
• can stand some light foot traffic

Why I like chamomile:

University of MD says:

Test tube studies have shown that chamomile can kill bacteria, fungus, and viruses. It also helps relax muscle contractions, particularly in the smooth muscles that make up the intestines.

I didn’t know scientists referred to them as “test tube studies.”

In addition to being a sedative, chamomile also lowers blood sugar.

Another site said it was an emmenagogue and a vermifuge. Great! I’m in!

Actually I looked up emmenagogue  and I can’t imagine it being a desirable therapeutic property.

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References:
Annie’s Remedy
University of MD