// SPECIES PROFILE · FOOD CROP · CULTIVATED

German Chamomile

Matricaria chamomilla

German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is a cultivated annual food crop grown for its edible flower. Family: Asteraceae (aster family). Originally from Southern & Eastern Europe. Grown as an annual in zones 2a–11a. Mature size 1'–2'. Harvest in northeastern Oklahoma: Apr–Jun.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: Asteraceae (aster family)
Group: crop · annual
Origin: Southern & Eastern Europe · cultivated
USDA zones: Zones 2a–11a (as an annual)
Mature size: 1'–2'
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Edible parts: flower
Harvest (NE OK): Apr–Jun
Garden role: tea-flower annual · sow in fall or very early spring · self-sows

German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) — *Matricaria chamomilla* — German Chamomile. Photo by Alvesgaspar via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Why it's on this list: tea-flower annual · sow in fall or very early spring · self-sows. A cultivated food crop — not a native — grown alongside regional natives in Rooted Revival's kitchen-garden and food-forest designs. Harvest windows are for northeastern Oklahoma (USDA zone 7a).

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In a kitchen garden or food-forest guild, german chamomile pairs well with: Cabbage (Brassica oleracea (Capitata Group)), Onion (Allium cepa), Kale (Brassica oleracea (Acephala Group)), Cucumber (Cucumis sativus).