Chamomile is a hardy perennial with feathery, fragrant leaves and white, daisy-type flowers, loved by bees and other pollinators. It’s easy and inexpensive to grow. It contains the essential oil chamazulene, which is found to have anti-allergy and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as being antiseptic, antibacterial and calming – it may even lower blood pressure. It’s been used as an herbal medicine for centuries, with evidence that the ancient Egyptians used chamomile to cure the sick, as well as in the process of embalming dead bodies. Today, it’s largely used as a soothing tea, with most tea drinkers buying dried chamomile in tea bags from the supermarket.
