# Stinking Chamomile (*anthemis cotula*)

Stinking Chamomile is a bright and cheerful flower with a unique smell! It can be found growing in fields and along roadsides, adding a splash of color to nature.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Stinking Chamomile grows in fields, gardens, and along roadsides.
- **Also known as:** Dog Fennel, Mayweed

![Stinking Chamomile](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/5381009/medium.jpg)

Photo: CC0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/5381009)

## Appearance

The Stinking Chamomile has small, daisy-like flowers with white ray petals and a prominent yellow, dome-shaped center. Its finely divided, feathery green leaves give it a delicate, fern-like appearance and a distinct, pungent smell when crushed.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Asterales
- **Family:** Asteraceae
- **Genus:** Anthemis

## Interesting facts

- Ancient Romans sometimes used Stinking Chamomile to flavor their beer, like hops!
- Cattle and horses usually avoid eating this plant due to its bitter taste and smell.
- Its name comes from the strong, often unpleasant, aroma it releases when crushed!
- The tiny seeds can stay dormant in the soil for many years, waiting for perfect conditions!

## Special abilities

- **Smelly Shield:** Stinking Chamomile has a strong, pungent scent that helps it deter grazing animals and many plant-eating insects.
- **Disturbed Ground Dynamo:** It can quickly grow and thrive in poor, disturbed soils, allowing it to colonize new areas rapidly.
- **Seed Slinger:** This plant produces many tiny seeds, helping it spread widely and ensure future generations bloom.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-50 cm
- **Spread:** 10-30 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — Collects nectar and pollen from its flowers.
- **Pollinates:** House fly (*Musca domestica*) — Attracted to its flowers, helping with pollination.
- **Eaten by:** Cotton aphid (*Aphis gossypii*) — Feeds on sap from the plant's stems.

## Traits

- [Herbaceous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbaceous): Herbaceous plants are non-woody plants with soft stems that typically die back to the ground at the end of the growing season.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always wash hands after touching plants to avoid any allergies.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Stinking Chamomile?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Stinking Chamomile?

10-50 cm

### How wide does Stinking Chamomile spread?

10-30 cm

### How big are the flowers on Stinking Chamomile?

1-2 cm

### When does Stinking Chamomile bloom?

Late spring to fall

### Is Stinking Chamomile edible?

No

### Is Stinking Chamomile toxic?

Mild

### What is Stinking Chamomile's lifecycle?

Annual

## Where to spot

- [Sonoma Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sonoma-botanical-garden) — California, US · Botanical Garden
- [Serra Mesa Community Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/serra-mesa-community-park) — California, US · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Stinking Chamomile: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/stinking-chamomile)