Chamomile Fields of Dreams

May is always a busy month at the farm.   We've had a greenhouse bursting with plants ready for planting, beds to be prepared, perennial herbs to be cultivated, and plants in need of harvest every week.   But wow- has this month been wet!  The wet weather has hampered harvest of one of our favorite crops- chamomile- but we are hoping that June brings us the sunshine that our beloved flowers need to thrive.  

 

About Chamomile 

 

German Chamomile, known by Latin names Matricaria recutita or Matricaria chamomilla, is an herb that is used and loved by people around the world for its effects on both the digestive and nervous systems. Chamomile has many active constituents that support it's anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, analgesic (pain relieving), and calming effects.  Effective at promoting sleep, reducing anxiety, and modulating stress related neurotransmitters, there is nothing quite as gentle yet penetratingly effective at helping to bring us into a state of rest and digest-which is where we want to be most of the time!


Growing Chamomile

 

If growing chamomile, be sure of your genus and species.  Roman Chamomile, Chamaemelum nobile, is not used in the same ways and is often used externally as opposed to internally.  We treat chamomile as an annual, planting in spring for summer harvest, as well as a biennial, planting in fall for spring harvest.  It thrives in poor soil and beware that it will become part of your garden if you allow it to go to seed!

 

Harvesting Chamomile

 

We wait until the flowers are open in late morning and use a modified blueberry rake to scrape the tops of the plants, collecting the flowers for fresh and dried use.  The flowers used fresh make excellent extracts and we especially love to make a cold infusion by adding a handful of fresh flowers to cool water, letting sit overnight, and straining.  It's like drinking a summer meadow!  

 

Using Chamomile 

 

Excellent as a tea when using for digestive support as chamomile has bitter constituents as well as a slightly mucilaginous silkiness that helps to soothe irritated digestive tissue. But for more specific, fast needed support for digestive discomfort or nervous system support, glycerite or tincture work very well. The topical application of chamomile via infused oil is a soothing anti-inflammatory for hot inflamed skin conditions and is featured in our Oats and Honey Soap.

 

With so many ways to use chamomile, you can't go wrong with investing a little time to try and grow your own and make extract or dry for tea.  For such a small investment of time, the abundance and benefits give back many times over!

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