Probably everyone knows what a camomile looks like. Delicate white petals and a bright sunny core evoke memories of children's fortune-telling, like "loves - doesn't love." This is a particularly unremarkable, ubiquitous flower. In fact, the classification includes more than 25 types of daisies, ranging from the well-known pharmacy daisies to blue daisies, the petals of which vary from pale blue to bright blue.
Flower description
Chamomile (in Latin "Matricária") belongs to the family of Astrovidae, or Compositae. It can be either annual or perennial, depending on the variety. So, for example, a non-lingual or medicinal is an annual, garden species of daisies, such as the Snow Maiden or Felicia, will please the eye for more than one summer.
Everyone knows beautiful daisies
Note! To the question, how many petals of chamomile, there is no specific answer. Each flower is individual and can count from 10 to 34 petals.
These flowers are double, semi-double, with petals thin, wide, straight, curved and completely without them, of different sizes and shades. Some will have a pronounced fragrant aroma, while others will be barely noticeable.
Where daisies grow
Chamomiles have very small seeds that are easily inflated by the wind over long distances, so glades or free-standing bushes of these flowers can be seen on almost any territory of the world. Unpretentiousness and the ability to adapt to any conditions play a key role in the widespread distribution of these plants.
These flowers can be found throughout the continent of Eurasia, in Australia, southern Africa and America. Wild chamomiles are frequent companions of roadsides, bright sunny meadows and foothills. In addition, representatives of the Astrovs have long fascinated gardeners with their beauty and ease of care.
When field daisies bloom
Daisies bloom throughout the entire warm period, starting in the second half of April and ending in September. Most of the buds bloom in the summer from June to July. In places with a milder and warmer climate (Mediterranean, Crimea, Caucasus), chamomile begins to bloom in early spring (late February - early March) and continues until late autumn in October. With the advance to the north, inflorescences begin to appear closer to summer and fade much earlier.
Field
For your information! Each bush during the warm months releases new inflorescences, which makes flowering seem constant. Fertilizing allows botanists to collect flowers 3-5 times from one bush.
The most popular is field chamomile, which has many useful properties. Based on studies of the science of pharmacognosy, it was found that the essential oil in its inflorescences has disinfectant and antiseptic properties that have a beneficial effect on the mucosa. Vitamins and minerals strengthen, nourish the hair, which contributes to their growth, giving a healthy silky look. In addition, the components of chamomile collection help treat colds and gastrointestinal diseases, relieve itching, redness and peeling on the skin.
Types of beautiful daisies
Gardeners often breed these unpretentious plants in their plots. Below in the article several varieties of chamomile will be listed that will become a wonderful decoration of any flower bed, as well as their brief description.
Chamomile without tongue
Chamomile without tongue - a grassy, annual plant with a pronounced fragrant aroma, for which it began to be called odorous. Such a camomile does not have white petals, unlike other brothers. The core of these flowers is an inflorescence, has a rich yellowish-green color and a more convex structure.
Another distinguishing feature is a lot of thin leaf-threads, densely sitting on a thick stem, which gives the flower a more dense and fluffy appearance. These flowers cannot stand the shade and love open sunny space, due to which they are often found on roadsides, wastelands, deserted and crumbling terrain, which is characterized by the complete absence of trees and weak vegetation. On the infield, the pleasant annual greens will emphasize the brightness of other flowers.
Important! Fragrant chamomile is used as an antiseptic, analgesic and sedative in traditional medicine, which is recommended to be used with caution, as there are contraindications.
Felice
Perennial blue chamomile, or amelloid Felicia, originally from South Africa, where it grows in the wild. In Russia, it is bred by gardeners. Unusual for chamomile colors of petals from pale turquoise to deep blue, sometimes with purple streaks, blends perfectly in the flower bed with yellow flowers.
This small plant, up to half a meter high, has small leaves that are hardly noticeable under large inflorescences of 5 cm in diameter. Blue daisy grows abundantly and continuously flowering bushes. Blue Felicia needs regular moderate watering and top dressing at least once every three weeks.
Berger
For your information! Ameloid Felicia is a perennial plant, unlike its fellow - blue daisies of Berger. Berger is a miniature annual plant with delicate petals of all shades of blue. It grows only up to 20 cm in height.
Meadow chamomile, or nyvyanik, usually grows with bushes up to 80 cm high, depending on weather conditions. Each branch on the stem of such a plant necessarily ends with a white-yellow inflorescence. They begin to bloom profusely and continuously in the first months of summer, less often they can bloom in the second half of August.
Leucanthemum is a perennial plant that grows rapidly around the county. Therefore, it is recommended to separate and plant the roots every three years in the spring or at the end of summer after flowering. If this is not done, in the fourth year the chamomile may die.
The plant needs moderate watering, open bright spaces and frequent loosening of the soil.
Note! Cut flowers of a nyvnyak will make a wonderful bouquet that will last up to 10 days.
Common
Common chamomile mainly grows in meadows, while it perfectly takes root in garden plots after sowing seeds of wild flowers. This is an annual. Inflorescences up to 3 cm in diameter have a pleasant fragrant aroma.
It has healing properties such as antibacterial, sedative, analgesic, antihistamine, hemostatic. To make a decoction, chamomile flowers need to be properly prepared. The first step is to cut off already beginning to fade inflorescences. Then the flowers are laid out in a thin layer on paper, which is recommended to be perforated, and dried on a table under a blown canopy without access to sunlight.
Important! It is not recommended to cut flowers for drying in meadows located near roads, landfills, cattle-breeding bases. In such plants, the harmful substances that they absorb are blocking the benefits.
What helps Roman chamomile
Roman chamomile, or noble umbilicus, is a short perennial that is not afraid of frost. Popularly, this grass is called field due to creeping roots and miniature size. The smell of Roman chamomile is somewhat reminiscent of an apple. Dried bunches were previously hung from the ceiling and served as a kind of freshener, which also drove insects out of the room. Roman differs from ordinary chamomile in the aroma and shape of the core (in the navel, it is more convex, voluminous). In Russia, it is found only in the Crimea.
Note! Dried flowers can be used both inside and in the form of poultices. Decoctions of inflorescences are useful to drink to strengthen the nervous system, they relieve pain during migraines, menstruation, are used in the treatment of colds and gastrointestinal diseases. In cosmetology it is used as a moisturizing, cleansing and healing component in face and hand skin care products.
Border perennials, stunted and flowering all summer
Snow Maiden - terry daisy traditional white and yellow colors. Its appearance is more reminiscent of chrysanthemum than the representatives of chamomile. Snow Maiden is a large plant, each stem from a half meter to a meter tall ends with a large boiled-white inflorescence 10-12 cm in diameter with a bright sun in the center.
Snow maiden
This is a very thermophilic flower, does not tolerate shade and enclosed spaces. Without enough sunshine, the Snow Maiden begins to wither, the flowers become smaller and lose their terry, and the bushes become less fluffy. Both single plantings on the flowerbed and among low-growing green shrubs look advantageous.
Important! After the double flowers have completely faded, they should be cut to the root. Then the roots take shelter for the winter, since the variety does not tolerate frosts. In spring, flowers should be fed.
Girl's chamomile grows fluffy green bushes, completely strewn with small white flowers. She is unpretentious in leaving, therefore girl's bushes quickly grow, for which they were nicknamed weed grass.
Girl daisy
Girl’s chamomile is one of the favorite plants in convents not only because of its delicate, discreet beauty, but also due to its many beneficial properties. In the Middle Ages, these flowers were called "uterine grass" (in Latin "Parthenos"), which clearly indicates useful properties. Decoctions of dried grass relieved pain during menstruation, facilitated childbirth. In addition, it is an antipyretic and anti-inflammatory agent.
Maiden grass is not afraid of drought, temperature extremes and frost. Excessive humidity, including after snow melts, has a detrimental effect on the root system, which leads to the death of the plant. Therefore, in the spring it is recommended to remove snow from the flower bed where this variety of chamomile grows.
Note! Adult girl bushes can be propagated even during flowering, dividing the root into parts. A prerequisite is the presence of an earthen coma on the roots.
Many gardeners plant perennial border flowers - Banana cream daisies. Their main advantage and difference from other representatives of the Astrovs is their unusual color. From buds, fluffy yellow inflorescences first bloom, which brighten over time and acquire the color of ivory. Bright yellow core only emphasizes the noble shade of chamomile.
Banana cream
Under suitable weather conditions, these plants produce new shoots, thereby provoking long flowering during the summer.
Usually chamomile Banana cream grows on one site from two to five years, since constant flowering consumes plant strength. Cream daisies love bright sunlight and open spaces, wither away when water stagnates in the soil. They are not afraid of frost and do not require shelter for the winter.
Thus, this is not an ordinary flower, as is clear from the article. There are a huge number of varieties with buds from pure white to blue. Each variety has its own characteristics and planting requirements, which should always be considered before growing on the site.
