Since antiquity chamomile has been considered a popular flower. The ancient people of Egypt regarded the flower very highly for it remarkable healing properties and used it as an offering to the sun god. The plant received its name from two Greek words which are ‘kamai’ meaning ‘above the ground’ and ‘melon’ meaning ‘apple’. This is particularly so because the plant has a distinguishable apple smell for which the Greeks used to refer to it as the ‘ground apple’.

Chamomile is a creeper which is greyish-green in colour. Its flowers and bunches of leaves appear about a foot above the ground. The stems of the plant are covered with very fine leaves which give the plant a somewhat feathery look. These summer flowers appear late in July and blossom till September. The flowers resemble the daisy to a large extent with the yellow tube-like florets emerging from the conical centre standing on a vertical stalk. The fruits are tiny and dry.

The plant grows well in dry pastures and soils which are sandy. It requires a sunny climate and is found across North Africa, Europe, and Asia.

The central flower head has medicinal value and herb beer is processed from the herb. Chamomile is noted for its essential oils which are extracted from its flowers.