For many years, I just used whichever Chamomile was readily available. As I primarily use teas and infusions, this was a pattern that was pretty easy to fall into. However, a little while ago, I was stuck identifying a plant that seemed to be a mix of the two, so me being me, I started digging into the similarities and differences in both form and use. Wow. Was I surprised at the difference. That’s why I decided to write a single page that compared the two rather than two separate pages.
Common names: German Chamomile, Hungarian Chamomile, Wild Chamomile, Blue Chamomile, Mayweed, Huang Chu Ju. Roman Chamomile, English Chamomile, Russian Chamomile
Taxonomic name: German chamomile: Matricaria chamomilla (syn. Matricaria recutita). Roman Chamomile: Chamaemelum nobile
Family: Asteraceae
Related herbs: Dandelions, Daisies, Feverfew
Area of origin: Europe, North Africa, Asia
Parts used: Flower head, volatile oil
Has been used medicinally for: Both: Irritated mucosa, skin. Nervous tension.
German: eczema, gastritis, mucositis, IBS, emotional agitation, teething and fevers in infants. Can be used in pregnancy. Young people’s complaints.
Roman: Colic, tension, anxiety, menstrual cramps, spasm, gut tension, digestive spasms. Tension and ‘holding on’. Adult complaints.
Healing Actions: German Chamomile (anti‑inflammatory, mucosal healing). Roman Chamomile (spasmolytic, calming, digestive)
Taste: Sweet, pungent, bitter. Oily
Energetics: German Chamomile: Cooling, drying, softening, settling. Roman Chamomile: Warming, relaxing, releasing, unwinding
Tissue states: German: Heat/excitement, dryness, tension. Roman: tension, cold/tension, damp/stagnation
Organ/System affinities: Skin, mucosa, respiratory tract, nerves
Healing constituents: German Chamomile: Volatile oil (α‑bisabolol, bisabolol oxides A & B, chamazulene (from matricin during distillation)). sesquiterpene lactones (inc. matricin, matricarin)
Roman Chamomile: Volatile oil (inc. isobutyl angelate, isoamyl angelate, 2‑methylbutyl angelate). Lactones (inc. nobilin, 3‑epinobilin).
Both contain: Flavonoids (inc. apigenin, luteolin, quercetin, isorhamnetin, rutin, apigenin‑7‑glucoside, luteolin‑7‑glucoside). Phenolic acids (inc. chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, p‑coumaric acid). Coumarins (umbelliferone, herniarin). Polysaccharides (inc. acidic polysaccharides, mucilage). Terpenes (inc. α‑pinene, β‑pinene, camphene, limonene, β‑caryophyllene).
Contraindications and warnings: Shared: Asteraceae allergy. Avoid internal use of essential oils. Caution in pregnancy with high doses .(mainly due to lack of high‑dose safety data). Caution with infants (especially essential oils). Possible mild interaction with anticoagulants.
Differences: German Chamomile can be more irritating because of the sesquiterpene lactones and volatile oil constituents (bisabolol oxides, chamazulene) in the essential oil but when used as a mild tea for children and infants can be soothing because of the low concentrations. It has a mild risk for use during pregnancy (mainly through limited clinical data), so avoid in high medicinal doses.
Roman Chamomile can cause GI irritation, so is used with caution when existing digestive tract irritation exists. Has stronger spasmolytic properties so should be used with much more caution in pregnancy, especially the early stages, due to its effects on smooth muscle and reputation as an emmenagogue. Essential oil is contraindicated for infants.
Drug/herb interactions: Shared: Anticoagulants, sedatives, CYP metabolised drugs. Antidiabetic drugs, Lithium. Antibiotics (quinolone)
Roman Chamomile is a stronger anti-spasmolytic/nervine so possibly interacts more with sedatives and drugs that act on the uterus.
German Chamomile can interact with NSAIDS.
Description
Roman: Perennial (comes back every year). Grows as a low, perennial groundcover only 10 to 30 cm high that spreads spreads by rooting stems. Flowers have a yellow button like centre and white petals that lay flat, and if you cut the centre in half, it is solid and filled with pith. The feathery, fern-like leaves are thicker, fleshier, hairier than German Chamomile. It grows in part shade. Roman chamomile has hairy stems, which produce one flower atop each single stem. Produces a clear or pale yellow oil.
German: German chamomile self-sowing annual. It is an upright plant at to 60 cm tall and does not spread on the ground like Roman Chamomile. German chamomile also has fine fern-like foliage, compared to Roman Chamomile, they are thinner, softer, and completely smooth. The stems branch out, bearing flowers and foliage on these branching stems, giving it more of a bushy look than Roman Chamomile. The white petals tend to droop or curve backward. The yellow centre is visibly hollow inside. Produces a distinctive, deep blue essential oil (due to a compound called chamazulene).
A well written summary can be found here – https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/chamomile/roman-vs-german-chamomile.htm
Medicinal use
There is some degree of crossover between Roman and German Chamomiles, which is why there is sometimes confusion when reading in general publications about ‘Chamomile’. The search for similarities and differences between the two has been enlightening for yours truly. I hope this info is good for you too.
German Chamomile cools, settles, softens.
Roman Chamomile unwinds, releases and restores flow
Heat/tension is a great example of a tissue state that shows how to think differently about each. Both address heat/tension but think German when heat is the key symptom. Roman is better when tension dominates the picture.
Both: helpful with irritated mucous membranes anywhere in the body or skin because of the mucilage and anti-inflammatory flavonoid content.
German chamomile: When tissue is red, hot inflamed and overreactive. Is the more cooling and softening of the two species – imagine heat just melting away. The deep blue chamazulene works well with things like eczema, gastritis, mucositis, IBS. Calming for the nervous system through anti‑inflammatory and mild anxiolytic flavonoids.
Emotionally, if you or your participant are frazzled, overstimulated or overly sensitive, regardless, reach for German Chamomile.
Look for: redness, heat and inflammation; (hyper-)sensitivity and reactivity; emotional agitation. Think of using it with children’s complaints.
Safely use with: infants, pregnancy, sensitive individuals, gut irritation.
Roman: When things are tight, tense and gripping. Of the two, it is the more warming and relaxing, helping loosen things so they relax and unwind. Think of it for things like colic, tension, anxiety, menstrual cramps, spasm. Calms nervous systems through spasmolytic esters and a nervine action.
Emotionally, look for signs of participant(s) being braced, tense and holding on.
Look for: cramping, spasm. Gut tension and stress induced tension.
Preparing and using the Chamomiles
Synergies and combinations: English Daisy, Calendula, Yarrow – as a vulnerary mix. Any aromatic for its carminative properties. Mild digestive herbs – because of its bitter properties. Hops &/or Valerian root – calming, sedating mix
Both of the Chamomiles are renowned for the healing effects of their essential oils. But as with all essential oils, don’t take them internally and use with caution if you’re pregnant or breast feeding.
Dried or fresh flowers are traditionally used in teas and infusions. The longer you leave them to infuse the more bitter they get. They’re less relaxing at this stage but more potent for digestive complaints.
Other herb pages on Ligaya Garden
We cover a lot of ground on many herb related topics here on our website. There are whole pages devoted to different topics as well as frequent posts. Some of the links are –
