German vs. Roman Chamomile: What's the Difference?
Two completely different plants are sold under the name "chamomile." They're in different genera, they grow differently, they're used for different things, and — this is the part that trips people up — almost every study you'll ever read about chamomile was done on only one of them.
If you're buying loose flowers for tea, you're almost certainly getting German chamomile. But it's worth knowing why, and worth knowing how to tell if you're ever holding the other one.
The Short Version
| German Chamomile | Roman Chamomile | |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical name | Matricaria chamomilla (also M. recutita, Chamomilla recutita) | Chamaemelum nobile (formerly Anthemis nobilis) |
| Genus | Matricaria | Chamaemelum |
| Life cycle | Annual | Perennial |
| Growth habit | Upright, branching, up to ~2 ft | Low mat-forming ground cover, foliage ~4 in |
| Flower arrangement | Multiple flowers on divided stems (a corymb) | Flowers borne singly atop stems |
| Flower receptacle | Hollow | Solid |
| Native range | Europe | Southern and western Europe, Morocco |
| Primary modern use | Herbal tea | Ground cover, lawns, essential oil |
| Distilled oil | Turns deep blue (chamazulene) | Does not produce blue oil |
| Research base | Substantial | Much thinner |
Both are in the Asteraceae family. Both have white daisy-like flowers with golden centers. Both have feathery foliage and a soft, apple-adjacent scent. Side by side in a garden, most people can't tell them apart.
They're Not Even the Same Genus
This is the first thing to internalize. German chamomile and Roman chamomile aren't two varieties of one plant, the way there are dozens of varieties of basil. They're separate species in separate genera that happen to look alike and happen to have picked up the same common name.
The New York Botanical Garden's Mertz Library is direct about it: German chamomile is in the Asteraceae family but a separate genus from Roman chamomile.
The naming history explains some of the confusion. Roman chamomile's species name, nobile — noble — was assigned because it was once believed to be the more useful of the two, according to the University of Iowa's Hardin Library for the Health Sciences. That belief didn't hold up. Modern use has gone almost entirely the other way.
Three Ways to Tell Them Apart
1. The receptacle test. The receptacle is the raised golden center that the white petals attach to. Slice one in half or press it firmly: it's hollow in German chamomile and solid in Roman chamomile. Both NYBG and Montana State University's Western Agricultural Research Center cite this as the reliable structural distinction. It's the single most dependable test.
2. How the flowers are arranged. German chamomile carries multiple flowers atop divided, branching stems — a structure botanists call a corymb. Roman chamomile carries its flowers singly, one per stem, held about ten inches above the foliage. This one you can see from a few feet away.
3. How the plant grows. German chamomile is an upright annual that can reach around two feet. Roman chamomile is a mat-forming perennial whose finely cut leaves sit only about four inches high, spreading outward rather than upward. If it's carpeting the ground, it's Roman.
Practically speaking, though: if you bought it as dried loose tea, the question is largely settled before you start looking. It's German.
Why German Dominates the Tea Shelf
Three reasons, and they compound.
Yield. German chamomile is a taller, more productive plant that flowers heavily and repeatedly through a season. Roman chamomile puts most of its energy into spreading foliage. NYBG notes that rich soil will give Roman chamomile lush leaf growth but no flowers at all — an unhelpful trait when the flower is the entire product.
Flavor. German chamomile is the sweeter of the two, with the apple-like character most people recognize as "chamomile." Roman chamomile tends toward more bitterness.
Research. This is the big one, and it shapes everything downstream. When the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health publishes a chamomile fact sheet, it states plainly that the sheet covers German chamomile. That's where the clinical literature sits. Manufacturers, regulators, and researchers have all converged on the same species, which reinforces the concentration further with each passing decade.
Where Roman Chamomile Actually Shows Up
Roman chamomile hasn't disappeared — it just moved into different jobs.
Chamomile lawns. This is its signature use, and it goes back to Elizabethan England, which is why Roman chamomile is sometimes called English chamomile. It tolerates light foot traffic and releases a sweet scent when walked on. A flowerless cultivar called 'Treneague' is grown specifically for this, since flowers aren't wanted in a lawn.
Ornamental planting. A double, cream-colored cultivar, 'Flore Pleno', is grown decoratively.
Essential oil and aromatherapy. Roman chamomile oil has a distinct profile and is used in aromatherapy and cosmetics.
One thing Roman chamomile does not produce is blue oil. That deep blue color in distilled "blue chamomile" comes from chamazulene, a compound that forms during steam distillation of German chamomile specifically. If you see blue chamomile oil, you're looking at German.
Does the Research on One Apply to the Other?
No — and this matters more than any other point in this article.
Historically the two were used nearly interchangeably. NYBG notes that both species have been used identically for medicinal purposes, and Iowa's Hardin Library records that Roman chamomile was in use as early as the classical period, including in ancient Egypt, and appeared in medical texts through the medieval era and into John Gerard's Herball of 1633.
Modern evidence is a different story. The clinical work has overwhelmingly been done on German chamomile. Hardin Library's assessment of Roman chamomile is that there is insufficient evidence to rate its effectiveness for any of the uses it's reputed to help with.
So when a product label, a blog post, or a supplement bottle cites chamomile research, the first question is which species — and the second is whether the product in front of you is the same one. Interchangeable common names have made this genuinely easy to get wrong.
Worth adding for balance: the evidence for German chamomile is itself more limited than its reputation suggests. NCCIH's position is that studies of chamomile for specific conditions haven't produced sufficient reliable evidence to rate clinical usefulness either. German chamomile has the larger research base. That isn't the same as having a settled one.
Safety Differences Worth Knowing
Shared risk: Asteraceae allergy. Both species are in the daisy family. Anyone allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, or daisies is more likely to react to either chamomile. NYBG advises people allergic to ragweed and other aster-family plants to avoid chamomile generally.
Pregnancy. The two are not flagged identically here. Hardin Library reports that Roman chamomile is likely unsafe during pregnancy. NCCIH's language on German chamomile is softer — little is known about safety during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Neither is an endorsement, but they aren't the same statement, and this is exactly the kind of distinction that gets flattened when both plants are just called "chamomile."
If you're pregnant, nursing, or on regular medication, talk to your healthcare provider before adding either.
What You're Actually Buying
Farmer Soul's chamomile is Matricaria chamomilla — German chamomile, whole dried flowers, single ingredient, no additives or fillers. It's carefully sourced from Eastern European botanical growers, USDA Organic certified, and packed in small batches in resealable kraft pouches in Las Vegas.
We name the species on the product page rather than just saying "chamomile," because as this article hopefully makes clear, "chamomile" on its own doesn't actually tell you what's in the pouch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which chamomile is in most tea bags?
German chamomile. It's the commercial standard for tea across essentially the entire category, in both bagged and loose-leaf form.
Can you drink Roman chamomile tea?
Yes — it has a long history of use and is still brewed in some places. It tends to be more bitter than German chamomile, and it's much harder to find sold as tea, since most Roman chamomile is grown for ground cover or oil.
Is Roman chamomile stronger than German chamomile?
"Stronger" isn't quite the right frame. They have different chemistry and different essential oil profiles. The nobile name reflects an old belief that Roman was the superior herb, but modern research has concentrated almost entirely on German.
Why do some sources call Roman chamomile Anthemis nobilis?
It's an older name that's still widely used. The plant was reclassified into the genus Chamaemelum, so Chamaemelum nobile is the current accepted name — but you'll see both, sometimes on the same label.
Are German and Roman chamomile interchangeable in recipes?
Not really. The flavor differs, Roman is more bitter, and it's rarely sold in culinary quantities. For tea, baking, or syrups, German chamomile is what recipes assume.
How do I know which one I bought?
Check for a Latin name on the label. If it says Matricaria, it's German. If it says Chamaemelum or Anthemis, it's Roman. If it says nothing at all, that's worth noting on its own.
Related Reading
- The Complete Guide to Chamomile Flowers
- Echinacea 101: Traditional Uses, Benefits & How to Brew It
- Lavender Powder vs. Lavender Buds: Which Should You Use?
- Mullein vs. Thyme Tea: Two Traditional Herbal Teas
Sources
- New York Botanical Garden, LuEsther T. Mertz Library. Chamomile Research Guide.
- University of Iowa, Hardin Library for the Health Sciences. Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile).
- Callan NW, Westcott MP, Wall-MacLane S, Miller JB, Welty L, Strang L. German Chamomile. Western Agricultural Research Center, Montana State University.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health. Chamomile: Usefulness and Safety. Last updated November 2024.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Chamomile is not a treatment or cure for any condition. Talk with your healthcare provider before using chamomile, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medication.