Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called English Chamomile, Garden Chamomile.

More about roman chamomile

About Roman Chamomile

Chamaemelum nobile · also called English Chamomile, Garden Chamomile · herb

Roman Chamomile is a low, mat-forming aromatic perennial with feathery foliage and small daisy-like flowers used for tea and as a fragrant lawn substitute. It prefers full sun, light free-draining soil, and cool conditions, releasing an apple scent when trodden. Hardier and more spreading than German chamomile, it tolerates light foot traffic.

Cold limit: USDA 4-9 · RHS H5 (10-24°C)

Watch for — Rot in wet or heavy soil: The crown and roots rot in poorly drained, waterlogged ground. Plant in light, gritty, free-draining soil and avoid overwatering, especially through winter.

What roman chamomile's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — roman chamomile is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 4-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H5 means: Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters. On the US scale that maps to USDA 4-9 — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −15 to −10 °C. Roman Chamomile is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for roman chamomile as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can roman chamomile go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 4-9 and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when roman chamomile can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H5 figure above.

Roman Chamomile hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is roman chamomile cold hardy?

Yes — roman chamomile is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 4-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Roman Chamomile is hardy across USDA 4-9; it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature roman chamomile can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −15 to −10 °C. Roman Chamomile is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is roman chamomile?

Roman Chamomile is rated USDA 4-9 and RHS H5 — Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters.

Can roman chamomile survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 4-9 and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to roman chamomile below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.