Yarrow vs chamomile
Two Asteraceae of the European meadow, one of them the most drunk flower in the world and the other a bitter component nobody drinks alone.
botanical
What is being compared
Point by point
| Aspect | Yarrow | Chamomile |
|---|---|---|
| The plant | Achillea millefolium, native across Eurasia and the Americas. | Matricaria chamomilla, native across Europe and much of Asia. |
| Part used | Flowering tops with a little leaf attached. | The whole flower head, dried intact. |
| Flavour | Aromatic and firmly bitter, with a chamomile-adjacent top note. | Sweet, faintly apple-like, with a gentle bitterness at the finish. |
| Quantity | A pinch, in a mixture. | A heaped spoonful; it is forgiving. |
| Where it is drunk | Gathered domestically in Germany, Austria and Scandinavia, never alone. | Everywhere — Europe, Egypt, Iran and across Latin America as manzanilla. |
| Why the confusion | Its top note genuinely resembles chamomile, which is why people try it expecting one. | None; it is the reference point. |
The short answer
Chamomile is the drink and yarrow the bitter component. Anyone who liked the idea of chamomile but wanted more edge should meet yarrow inside a blend rather than alone.
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