Scientific Name:
Chamaemelum nobile
Pronunciation:
kam-AY-mel-um no-BIL-ee
Common Name:
Roman chamomile
Family Name:
Asteraceae
Plant Type:
Ground cover, Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Leaves alternate, sessile, oblong in outline, most 1-3(-5)cm long x 1-3cm wide, bipinnately compound, leaflet 1-2cm long with pointed pinnae <7mm long x <1mm wide; flower heads daisy-like, sparse, usually with 13-21 white ray florets, most 7-10mm long, yellow disk florets, peduncles 2-4cm long; achenes 1-1.5mm long.
Habit:
Spreading, Upright
Form:
Creeping / Mat-like
Texture:
Fine
Mature Height:
0.2 - 0.4m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Europe
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 6: (-23 to -18 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Rocky or gravelly or dry, Well-drained
Water Use:
Low
Landscape Uses:
Bedding plant, Container planting, Dried flower or fruit, Fragrance, Green roof technology, Herb, Lawn - sports field, Medicinal plant, Perennial border, Summer interest
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown may include C. 'Flore Pleno'. Compare to German chamomile (used more often in herbal teas).
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Dissected, Compound
Arrangement:
Alternate, Sessile
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Distinctive smell
Compound Leaf:
Bipinnate
Colour in Summer:
Green, Green-yellow
Colour in Fall:
Yellow
Shapes:
Filiform
Apices:
Acute, Mucronate
Bases:
Truncate
Margins:
Incised
Additional Info:
Leaves smell like a cut apple when crushed
Inflorescence Type:
Head (capitulum), Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Corolla Shape:
Ligulate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Yellow (flowerheads used in herbal tea)
Flower Scent:
Fragrant
Flower Time at Peak:
Jul, Aug, Sep
Fruit Type:
Cypsela (achene + calyx)
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Olive, Tan
Propagation:
Seed
Maintenance:
Low
Other:
Deadhead to control excessive spread
Pest Susceptibility:
Aphids or adelgids (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant)
