How to Grow Chamomiles UK

When to Plant Chamomiles in the UK

When to plant chamomiles in the UK: in Southern England, sow early March to early May. Find your area in the table below.

Region	Sow
Southern England	early March to early May
Midlands	early March to early May
Northern England	early March to early May
Scotland	early March to early May

Southern England - detail & sources

RHS recommends sowing in spring; no UK-region-specific sowing dates given, so a single spring window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions rather than inventing a north/south gradient the source does not support.

Midlands - detail & sources

RHS recommends sowing in spring; no UK-region-specific sowing dates given, so a single spring window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions rather than inventing a north/south gradient the source does not support.

Northern England - detail & sources

RHS recommends sowing in spring; no UK-region-specific sowing dates given, so a single spring window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions rather than inventing a north/south gradient the source does not support.

Scotland - detail & sources

RHS recommends sowing in spring; no UK-region-specific sowing dates given, so a single spring window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions rather than inventing a north/south gradient the source does not support.

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Soil texture	chalk, loam or sand (RHS)
Drainage	well-drained
Lifecycle	perennial
Edible parts	flowers, leaves

Soil & Growing Conditions

Water: well-drained, tolerates light soil that drains freely (RHS)

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Sowing	0	Sow seed thinly on the surface of damp, peat-free seed compost in spring -- seeds need light to germinate (RHS).
Mat-forming foliage establishment	3	Develops finely divided, aromatic, mat-forming foliage; regular trimming keeps growth compact and bushy (RHS).
Flowering	6	Chamomile grows quickly and can start flowering in as little as ten weeks (RHS).
Establishment to maturity	9	Reaches full maturity over 2-5 years as a perennial mat (RHS).

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: Harvest the small white daisy-like flowers as they open, traditionally dried for chamomile tea; aromatic leaves can also be used. Plants begin flowering in as little as ten weeks from sowing (RHS).

Chamomile, a Mat-Forming Perennial Herb

White petals, yellow centre

RHS: white, yellow-centred daisy-like flowers about 1.5cm across, held above finely divided, aromatic foliage.

Generally pest-free and disease-free

RHS records chamomile as generally pest-free and generally disease-free -- one of the lowest-maintenance herbs on the site.

Flowers in as little as ten weeks

RHS: chamomile grows quickly and should start flowering in as little as ten weeks from sowing.

A low, mat-forming perennial

RHS: a mat-forming herbaceous perennial reaching just 0.1-0.5m in height and spread, taking 2-5 years to reach full maturity.

A magnet for pollinators

Chamomile's open, yellow-centred flowers are popular with butterflies and other pollinating insects.

What the research guides add

This section covers German chamomile, the annual used for tea; Roman chamomile is a different, low-growing perennial.

• German chamomile is an annual in the daisy family, growing quickly from seed to erect, branched stems up to 2 feet tall. UC ANR calls it a cool-season, drought-tolerant annual that self-seeds so readily you may think it is a perennial. (Wisconsin Extension, UC ANR)
• UC ANR advises sowing when the soil is above 55°F, or as early as five weeks before the last frost, 1/8 inch deep in well-drained sandy soil in full sun, and thinning seedlings to 4 inches apart when they are 2 to 2½ inches tall. (UC ANR)
• Montana State says it can be grown from transplants or direct seeding, that irrigation is usually needed while seedlings establish, and that transplants can be spaced 8 inches apart in rows 18 inches apart. (Montana State University)
• Plants begin blooming in early to midsummer and keep producing flowers until the seeds ripen in late summer, or until frost if deadheaded. (Wisconsin Extension)
• Harvest the flowers just as they are fully open, before the petals dry up. (UC ANR)
• Montana State tells the two species apart by the flower centre: the receptacle of German chamomile is hollow, while that of Roman chamomile is solid. (Montana State University)

Sources for this section

• University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension: German Chamomile, Matricaria chamomilla
• University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources: Chamomile Growing Information (Annual Herb)
• Montana State University, Western Agricultural Research Center: German Chamomile

Section researched and checked on 24 October 2026 by the SoilCommander Editorial Team. How we check facts: editorial policy.

References

1. NC State Extension - Chamaemelum nobile (Roman chamomile)

   Herbaceous PERENNIAL in the Asteraceae, native to Europe and western Asia. 1-2ft tall. Full sun (6+ hours) or partial shade. Well-drained soil, tolerating loam and sand and acid to alkaline pH, moist to dry, and resisting poor soil. Propagated by division and seed. White daisy-like flowers from summer into autumn. Dried flowers used for tea -- the source advises limiting to one cup daily owing to thujone content -- and herb pillows. Tolerates foot traffic, so viable as a lawn. CAUTIONS: may cause contact dermatitis in sensitive people; toxic to cats, dogs and horses, causing vomiting, diarrhoea, anorexia and allergic reactions; long-term consumption increases bleeding risk.

2. Plants For A Future (PFAF) - Chamaemelum nobile

   PFAF entry for Chamaemelum nobile. Fetched and parsed directly for the USDA hardiness rating.

3. Royal Horticultural Society - Chamaemelum nobile | common chamomile

   A mat-forming herbaceous perennial with finely divided, aromatic foliage and white, yellow-centred daisy-like flowers 1.5cm across. Native to Western Europe and Northwest Africa, including Great Britain and Ireland. Hardiness H7 (hardy in the severest European continental climates, below -20°C). Full sun or partial shade. Soil: chalk, loam or sand; well-drained; acid, alkaline or neutral pH. Height and spread 0.1-0.5m. Time to maturity 2-5 years. Propagated by seed or division (division for non-flowering cultivars). Generally pest-free and generally disease-free. Aromatic leaves used as a culinary herb for tea and traditional herbal preparations; flowers are the part traditionally dried for chamomile tea. Regular trimming maintains compact, bushy growth.

3 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.