Royal Cammomile

Chamomile: One Flower, a Few Names

Chamomile isn't a single, unambiguous plant — "chamomile" is a common name shared by more than one species sold in the tea trade. German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is the variety most commonly dried for tea and the one behind most commercial chamomile tea; Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) is a related but botanically distinct plant, more often grown as a groundcover or used in essential oil than dried loose for infusions. Both belong to the daisy family, Asteraceae, and both share the small white-petaled, yellow-centered flower most people picture when they hear the name.

The name itself has Greek roots: "chamomile" traces back to chamaimēlon, roughly "earth apple," a reference to the flower's faint apple-like scent when crushed — a naming detail that predates the tea trade by many centuries and has nothing to do with modern marketing.

Commercially, chamomile flower heads are hand- or machine-harvested at peak bloom, since the plant's aromatic compounds are at their strongest right when the flower is fully open, and dried quickly afterward to preserve that fragrance. Chamomile has a documented history of household use across several ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern cultures going back thousands of years — long before it appeared as a retail product, it was simply a garden herb people dried and kept on hand.

Royal Cammomile keeps this simple: a single ingredient, dried chamomile flower, with nothing else blended in — no added flavoring, no second herb sharing the cup. That single-ingredient approach is worth knowing if you're comparing chamomile products, since many commercial "chamomile" blends actually mix in mint, lavender, or lemon balm alongside the flower itself.

How to Brew Chamomile Tea

Chamomile is a flower infusion rather than a leaf tea, so it tolerates — and rewards — hotter water and a longer steep than green or white tea would.

Parameter	Guidance
Water temperature	Near boiling, 208–212°F (98–100°C)
Leaf dose	1–2 tsp of dried flower heads per 8 oz cup
Steep time	5–7 minutes
Caffeine	None — naturally caffeine-free

Because there's no delicate leaf chemistry to scald the way there is with green or white tea, chamomile is forgiving — a slightly longer steep won't turn it bitter the way it would a green tea, it will just deepen the flavor and color. Cover the cup while it steeps to keep the flower's aromatic compounds from escaping with the steam.

Did You Know

• "Chamomile" is a name shared by two different plants. German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is the species most commonly dried for tea; Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) is a related but distinct plant more often used as a groundcover or in essential oil — both share the common name, but they're not the same species.

• The name comes from Greek, not a modern brand. "Chamomile" traces back to chamaimēlon, meaning roughly "earth apple" — a reference to the flower's faint apple-like scent when crushed, coined long before chamomile was ever sold as a retail product.

• Chamomile belongs to the daisy family. Botanically, it's part of Asteraceae, the same large flowering-plant family as daisies and sunflowers — a detail that explains its familiar white-petal, yellow-center look.

• It's one of the oldest household herbs on record. Chamomile shows up in the historical record of several ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern cultures as a dried, kept-on-hand herb — a household staple centuries before it became a shelf product.

What is chamomile tea made of?

Dried chamomile flower heads, steeped in hot water — no Camellia sinensis leaf, which is why it's technically an herbal tisane rather than a true tea. Royal Cammomile is a single-ingredient version, just the flower.

Is chamomile tea caffeine free?

Yes. Since it contains no tea leaf at all, chamomile is naturally caffeine-free rather than decaffeinated — there's no caffeine to remove in the first place.

Is Roman chamomile the same as German chamomile?

No, though both are commonly called "chamomile." German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is the species most often dried for tea; Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) is a related but botanically separate plant, more associated with groundcover and essential oil use.

How do you brew loose chamomile tea?

Use water at a near-boil, 208–212°F, and steep 1–2 teaspoons of dried flower per 8 oz cup for 5–7 minutes — chamomile tolerates hot water and a longer steep better than green or white tea does.

Why do people drink chamomile tea before bed?

Chamomile is a classic evening choice many reach for to wind down with something warm before bed, largely by tradition and habit rather than any time-of-day requirement in the plant itself.

Does Royal Cammomile contain any other herbs?

No — it's a single-ingredient chamomile with nothing else blended in, unlike many commercial chamomile products that mix in mint, lavender, or lemon balm alongside the flower.