Prolific producer of tiny white daisy-like flowers on apple-scented foliage. A useful calmative herbal tea, soothing and often used to treat stomach disorders and nervous troubles.

In traditional folk medicine, chamomile has been promoted as a treatment for a long list of ailments. Today, it is most commonly promoted as a sedative to induce sleep and to soothe gastrointestinal discomfort caused by spasms and inflammation. Some proponents also claim chamomile calms the mind, eases stress, reduces pain from swollen joints and rheumatoid arthritis, speeds the healing of wounds, and reduces skin inflammation caused by sunburn, rashes, eczema, and dermatitis. The herb is also promoted to treat menstrual disorders, migraine headaches, eye irritation, and hemorrhoids.

• Annual

• Medicinal

• Gladly reseeds freely

• Full sun

• plant height: 18in.

• 90 days

   

   

    Maticaria Recutita or Chamomile - its popular name - is a herbaceous, annual and hibernating plant originating in south-eastern Europe, which nowadays has spread to all continents. The scientific name "Matcaria" derives from the latin word "mater" (mother) and suggests the many uses in mothers' diseases and generally in that of women. Because it is a common plant, it can be found anywhere, in uncultivated areas, on fields, on road edges and so on. The plant loves heat, light (which influences the essential oil contained), and moist soils.
  
     The chamomile stem, reaching growing up to 60 cm, is striated and ramified at its base, and each branch has flowers. The hemaphrodite flowers with their pleasant flavor, bloom from May until late August or early September. In this interval, the best harvesting period is noon. Noticeable is the fact that inflorescent flowers are harvested before becoming mature. For conservation the plants are put to dry in a thin layer in a dry and shady place, after which they are kept in paper bags. In ancient times, chamomile was used to control neuralgia and rheumatism (especially the articular one) and the ancient Egyptians used it to decrease fever. It is also mentioned in old books about medicinal plants that chamomile's oil drives away fatigue from the limbs.
  
  

  Properties of Chamomile plant

   Chamomile flowers contain: essential oils (etheric oil: 0.38 - 0.81%), vitamins B1 and C, mineral substances (phosphorus, potassium, silicon, iron, manganese, calcium, copper, lead, zinc, zirconium), glucides, lipids (in small quantities) and acids. The plant has calming, analgesic, disinfecting and antiseptic, antispasmotic and tonic actions. At the same time, chamomile has an antitoxic action through disactivating the bacterian and carminative toxins, favoring the elimination of intestinal gasses. Externally, chamomile has cicatrizant, emollient and anti-inflammatory effects. Because of its antiseptic (it destroys the microorganisms from the tegument) and decongestive properties, chamomile also has many aplications in cosmetics, being recommended for irritated, damaged or fat complexions.