Chamomile is not one herb but two German chamomile (Matricaria recutita L) and Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile). The two plants are botanically unrelated but oddly with produced the same light blue oil.
Roman chamomile can attain a height of about 18 inches, while German chamomile can attain a height of up to 3 feet. Roman chamomile is a perennial. German chamomile is generally grown as an annual.
In early Egyptian times, chamomile was used to cure agues, malarial chills that plagued the ancient civilization.
Categorized as a sedative in the medical literature, chamomile is beneficial for reducing nervous activity in the evening, allowing a person to fall asleep with greater ease.
The plants delicate fragrance made them popular ‘strewing’ herb in medieval England. Strewing herbs was common as a way to freshen the air in homes where bathing was uncommon.
Chamomile is used as an inflammatory and to treat insomnia, anxiety and spasms. It is commonly used to treat digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, colitis and Crohn’s disease.
The name chamomile was coined by the classic Greeks, from kamai, on the ground, and melon, apple, literally ground-apple, reflecting the apple-like odor and low-growing character of the plant.
Herbs of chamomile
