Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Chamomile bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called German chamomile, wild chamomile, Hungarian chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla).

About Chamomile

Matricaria chamomilla · also called German chamomile, wild chamomile · flowering

German chamomile is a self-seeding annual herb with feathery foliage and small daisy-like flowers used in herbal teas. Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) is a closely related perennial used for fragrant lawns. Both thrive in sun and free-draining soil. Mildly toxic to pets in quantity.

Matricaria chamomilla (German chamomile) is an annual in the daisy family native to southern and eastern Europe and western Asia, naturalized in disturbed meadows and fields.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Aphids on flower buds: Rinse off with water; ladybirds clean up quickly.

Sources: hort.extension.wisc.edu, plants.ces.ncsu.edu

The reasons chamomile isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming chamomile traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding chamomile a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get chamomile to flower

Maximise sun. Give chamomile the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for chamomile and get the feeding right with the chamomile fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Chamomile flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full chamomile care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Chamomile blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my chamomile flower?

Chamomile blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make chamomile bloom?

Give chamomile the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does chamomile normally bloom?