Chamaemelum nobile Ligulosum

Roman Chamomile, also known as Chamaemelum nobile 'Ligulosum', is planted in gardens for its beautiful white flowers with yellow centres and its numerous therapeutic properties. An easy-to-grow plant, it is a must-have in herb or rock gardens.

This low-growing perennial reaches a height of 15-20 cm (6-8in) and is very hardy. It has evergreen, velvety, greyish-green foliage and 2cm (1in)-wide white flowers with yellow centres. It makes an excellent fragrant ground cover!

Roman Chamomile is a Mediterranean plant that prefers light, poor, dry, sandy soil in a sunny location. In heavy soil, add river sand. Add compost when planting. The only maintenance required is watering three times a week during hot summer weather. It can also be grown in pots with regular watering.

The flowers of Roman Chamomile are best harvested in the morning. Steep one tablespoon of dried flowers in 200ml of boiling water for 5 minutes, then sweeten with honey to remove bitterness. This infusion helps with sleep (calming properties) but is also an antispasmodic, digestive, and analgesic tonic.

In the vegetable garden: Roman Chamomile attracts many beneficial insects, such as lacewings and hoverflies, but is not a good companion for lettuces. However, spraying its tea reduces seedling damping-off.

In the garden, use it as a small ground cover in a rock garden or as a border plant for perennial beds at the base of lavender, cotton lavender, and thyme.