The Beautiful Camomile
Camomile (or chamomile) takes its name from the Greek words for “ground” and “apple,” because it grows close to the ground and its strong aroma is reminiscent of apples. It is one of the most loved teas in Greece and is regularly gathered in the wild, washed thoroughly, and laid out to dry at home.
Camomile makes a pleasant aromatic tea with a fruity flavor, enhanced by sugar or honey. It is often sipped for relief of health problems ranging from toothache to nervousness. Camomile has also been noted as beneficial for soothing headaches and is a natural relaxing herb known to assist the restless and those suffering from insomnia.
In many circles Camomile is called nighty night tea or sleepy tea on account of its natural properties which promote restfulness and drowsiness. It is also known to assist digestive disorders by settling the stomach and calming the nerves. The plant’s botanical name Matricaria, is derived from the Latin term for womb because it was once used as an herb to treat female troubles. Camomile is derived from ancient Greek and translates as “Ground Apple” in reference to the fruity aroma.
Like many teas and herbs camomile should be consumed without the addition of milk but this does not preclude additives such as honey, lime, lemon, cinnamon etc. One of the fun things to do with a widely used consumer herb like camomile is to make your own blend. Try camomile with peppermint and call it Camomint Soothing Sleeper - camomile provides the ‘sleepy’ portion of your blend and the peppermint provides the soothing part (peppermint is known to soothe upset stomachs).
Physical characteristics:
Dried leaves are narrow and spear-shaped, 1/2-inch to 1-inch long and light tan to pale green. Flowers are 1/4-inch diameter yellow-orange bulbs. Stems are 1/16-inch diameter and shades of brown. In the wild, fields of camomile look like a light dusting of snow.
Camomile has been used since ancient times for a variety of medicinal and therapeutic purposes. Dioscorides - a Greek physician, pharmacologist, and botanist with Roman Emperor Nero’s army - prescribed camomile for several gastrointestinal disorders, nervous conditions, and liver disorders. Other medicinal uses for camomile preparations were to treat women’s ailments and kidney stones.
Experienced gardeners think of camomile as a “Plant Doctor” herb because it has a remedial and healthy effect on neighboring plants - especially plants which appear weak or “sick.”