German Chamomile
Bodegold Chamomile is a frost-hardy annual herb that grows 24 to 30 inches tall, producing delicate daisy-like flowers prized for steeping into a fragrant, soothing tea. Sown in early spring, this cultivar establishes sturdy growth before warm weather triggers flowering, rewarding patient gardeners with harvestable blooms throughout the season. The petite white flowers are harvested at peak freshness, air-dried indoors, and stored for year-round use, or left to self-seed in the garden for effortless return crops.
Full Sun
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?-?
30in H x ?in W
Annual
Moderate
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What sets Bodegold apart is its reliable self-seeding habit and generous flowering over a long season. The flowers are distinctly dainty and white, requiring harvest at just the right moment, fully open but before petals begin to dry, to capture maximum flavor and fragrance. Early spring sowing ensures the plant matures into a vigorous specimen before heat stress, and the ability to leave a few flowers on the plant and have it reseed itself next season makes this a perennial solution in the garden, despite being technically an annual.
Bodegold Chamomile flowers are harvested and air-dried for steeping into tea, valued for their gentle, aromatic character. The blooms are collected every few days during the peak of flowering, dried in a single layer indoors over several days, then stored in sealed containers for brewing throughout the year. Beyond tea, the flowers can be left on the plant to set seed, creating a natural succession of blooms if allowed to self-sow into the next season.
Sow seeds in early spring in a container of seed starting mix. Cover seeds very lightly with soil—only 1/8 inch deep—and keep the medium evenly moist until seedlings emerge. Provide strong light once seedlings appear, and maintain this light source until seedlings are about 2 inches tall. Gradually acclimate seedlings to outdoor conditions before transplanting to avoid shock.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after hardening off gradually to outdoor light and temperature. Space plants 4 inches apart in full sun. Ensure soil is workable and frost danger has passed, as early spring establishment before warm weather triggers flowering is key to the variety's best performance.
Harvest flowers every few days once they are fully open but before the petals begin to dry up, capturing them at their peak freshness and flavor. The blooms should still have their dainty white petals fully extended and show no signs of browning or shriveling. For tea production, air dry the harvested blossoms in a single layer indoors for several days until completely dry, then transfer to sealed containers for storage. To encourage self-seeding for next season, intentionally leave a few flowers on the plant to set seed rather than harvesting them.
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