Chamomile, The "Plant's Physician"

Chamomile (German and Roman)

Chamomila recituta, matricaria

Ground Apple

Chamomile is a beautiful perennial plant that highly prized for it's delicious taste, sweet smell and medicinal virtues. It has a rounded flower head and white petals, with feathery green leaves.

The Latin Root Matricaria translates to "mother", "womb" or "matrix", chamomile means "ground apple", a term coined from its sweet apple like scent.

Chamomile is a valuable garden ally. It can enhance the flavor of nearby herbs and it may help to strengthen sickly plants. Besides this, chamomile is beloved by people for it's beauty and by bees for it's pollen. Chamomile is in the Daisy (Aster) family so those who have an allergy to ragweed or other plants of this family should use with caution as skin irritation may develop.

Energetics & Actions:

Chamomile acts a a protector of smaller, weaker plants; It helps to nurture them back to health. Chamomile is also a nurturer of babies as well. It is a common remedy for colic and teething in infants. For adults its carminative action is beneficial for bloating, cramping, PMS.

Those pretty yellow flowers contain a blue chemical, azulene which is used in cosmetics for its anti-inflammatory action on the skin. Chamomile can help calm and heal skin rashes, and eczema. Try adding chamomile flowers to your baby’s bath. Chamomile can be used in mouthwashes as well, to soothe the gums, prevent infection and freshen the breath.

Chamomile has a delicious sweet taste but when steeped longer, it can provide a stronger bitter action which is beneficial for the liver. It can help detoxify the body,and stimulating increased urination and digestion . A few drops of chamomile tincture can be used before a meal for this purpose.

Chamomile is a gentle nervine with mild sedative properties. It is commonly used for nervousness, anxiety and trouble sleeping. It also can be used in instances of mild depression, nerve pain and fatigue. I like to pair chamomile with other bitter nervines like california poppy and skullcap.

Neutral Temperature Nervine Astringent/Vulnerary

Diuretic Mild Sedative Aromatic

Bitter Tonic Carminative Sweet

Preparations:

There doesn't seem to be a preparation that doesn't suit chamomile. It can be used in an infusion, Infused honey, syrup, tincture. Topical uses include sleep satchets, baths, soaks, and essential oil applications.