How to Grow Chamomile
Chamomile At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Herb
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -15°C
Plant Family
Asteraceae
Growing Season
Cool Season
Plant Lifecycle
Annual
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Chamomile handles frost, so sow it about 4 weeks before your last spring frost, or in late fall for plants that come up on their own in spring. Scatter the tiny seeds, press them into the soil and barely cover them, since they need light to sprout. They sprout in 7 to 14 days: thin them (pull the extras) so plants stand about 15 cm apart.
German chamomile, the upright kind grown for tea, lives for one season but drops so many seeds that it usually comes back on its own every year. Roman chamomile is a different, low plant that spreads slowly and lasts for years.
When To Start
First chance to plant
30 Days Before Last Frost
Last chance to plant
30 Days Before First Frost
When should you plant Chamomile?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Chamomile Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Chamomile Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Sow chamomile outdoors, pressing the seeds onto the soil
30 days before your last frost· every year
Pick chamomile flowers when fully open, for tea
60 days after your last frost· every year· optional
Did you water your chamomile seedlings today? Keep the top of the soil damp until they are up and growing.
About 1 days after you plant it
Time to thin the chamomile seedlings: snip the extras at soil level so each one has room to grow.
About 24 days after you plant it
How is your chamomile coming along? Keep the soil lightly moist while the little plants settle in.
About 34 days after you plant it
Chamomile check! Pick flowers as soon as they open fully, and more will keep coming.
About 54 days after you plant it
Picking time may be here: check your chamomile.
About 60 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Chamomile's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 7–14 days
Growing Tips
- 1Grow chamomile in full sun, at least 6 hours a day.
- 2It likes plain, well drained soil, so mix in only a little compost, since rich soil gives lots of leaves and fewer flowers.
- 3Keep the soil surface moist until seedlings are up, then let it dry a little between waterings.
- 4Skip extra feeding, as chamomile flowers best in lean soil.
- 5Spray aphids off with a strong stream of water, and leave space between plants so air flows.
- 6Chamomile can make cats and dogs sick, and people with a ragweed allergy may react to it, so keep pets away and try the tea in small amounts first.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
~60
Days to Maturity
30 cm
Mature Height
30 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
45 days
When to Pick
Harvest flowers when fully open
How to Harvest
- 1Pick the flowers when the white petals are fully open and flat or starting to bend back.
- 2Pinch or snip off just the flower heads, using your fingers like a comb to pull off several at once.
- 3Pick every few days in summer, since the more you pick, the more flowers come.
- 4Dry the flowers on a screen or tray in a warm, shady, airy room for 1 to 2 weeks, until they crumble.
- 5Store them in a sealed jar away from light, and steep a spoonful in hot water for about 5 minutes for tea.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
How to Save Seeds
German chamomile comes true from seed and does not cross with your other herbs. Leave some flower heads on the plant until the centres turn brown and dry, then snip them into a paper bag. Let them dry for another week, then rub the heads between your fingers to free the tiny seeds, which look almost like dust. Store them labelled in a cool, dark, dry place, where they keep about 3 years. Any heads you leave in the garden will seed themselves for next year.
Seed Production
Still have a question?
Ask your coach about your chamomile.
This page covers what we thought to write down. Your chamomile will do something it never mentions, and that is the day a coach beats a guide. Ask Coach Lumen one question right now, free, no account.
