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Home » Forage » Summer Foraging » Foraging for Pineapple Weed (Wild Chamomile) + Pineapple Weed Tea

Foraging for Pineapple Weed (Wild Chamomile) + Pineapple Weed Tea

May contain affiliate links or sponsored content. Please see my privacy policy and affiliate disclosure.

Originally published on June 15, 2018. Last updated on August 7, 2020

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A pineapple weed (wild chamomile) plant, and a glass of pineapple weed tea.

One aspect about foraging that I absolutely love is when I discover a plant that I’ve seen for years, since childhood even, is edible and medicinal! This was the case with pineapple weed, also known as wild chamomile. When I learned several years ago that it can be used in the same way as its close relative chamomile, I was shocked and excited! Foraging for pineapple weed is easy, it grows almost everywhere, and you’ve most likely seen it before. Pineapple weed tea is a great way to utilize its benefits!

A large pineapple weed (wild chamomile) plant.


Wildcrafting Weeds

If you want to learn more about the edible and medicinal weeds that surround us and how to use them, check out my eBook: Wildcrafting Weeds: 20 Easy to Forage Edible and Medicinal Plants (that might be growing in your backyard)!

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Identifying Pineapple Weed (Wild Chamomile)

Pineapple weed (Matricaria discoidea) is very easy to identify. The flower heads are cone shaped and yellowish green in color and do not have petals.

It looks similar to cultivated chamomile flowers, but without the white petals, and it stays much lower to the ground.

The flowers and leaves smell almost identical to chamomile, with a pineapple undertone. It’s a lovely and sweet smell that will always remind me of summertime as a child!

pineapple weed plant showing the flowers and leaves

Because pineapple weed is often considered a weed, be careful where you harvest from to be sure that it hasn’t been sprayed with any toxic chemicals.

It commonly grows on or along walking paths, trails, roadsides, and in disturbed areas. I wouldn’t recommend harvesting in these areas as they are often polluted.

Try to harvest in areas that are away from heavy use by humans, pets, and vehicles.

hand holding a sprig of pineapple weed

Edible and Medicinal Uses of Pineapple Weed (Wild Chamomile)

Pineapple weed has many of the same benefits as chamomile, namely being good for relaxation and promoting sleep, and as an excellent digestive aid.

It’s also helpful for treating colds and is a mild pain reliever.

Besides having multiple medicinal benefits, pineapple weed is also edible and delicious! It can be made into a tea (see below), which is probably the easiest and most common way to use it.

You can also try making these yummy cookies, or this cordial, or this lovely sounding wildflower jam!

two bunches of pineapple weed on a wooden table

Pineapple Weed Tea

My favorite way to use pineapple weed is the simplest: tea!

It tastes somewhat similar to chamomile tea (another favorite of mine), but slightly sweeter and with a definite pineapple flavor. I can see why this plant got its common name!

It’s as easy to make as any herbal tea, simply pour boiling water over a spoonful of fresh flowers, then strain when ready to drink. It can be served hot or iced.

a glass mug of pineapple weed tea on a wooden table

It’s so awesome when a plant that you’ve seen many times turns out to be useful. Pineapple weed has so many benefits to us and it’s always been there right under our feet!


More Herbal Tea Recipes

Herbal tea is like giving your water a nutrition and flavor boost. Enjoy our other tea recipes!

  • Hops Tea
  • White Clover Iced Tea
  • Wildflower Tea
  • Immune Boosting Tea Blend

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4.60 from 10 votes

Pineapple Weed Tea

Pineapple weed, also known as wild chamomile, is easy to forage for. It is a common plant that is edible and had many medicinal benefits!
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Steep 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 1 person
Calories 1kcal
Author Colleen @ Grow Forage Cook Ferment

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh pineapple weed flowers
  • 8 ounces boiling water

Instructions

  • Bring the water to a boil and pour it over the pineapple weed flowers. 
  • Allow to steep for at least 5 minutes. 
  • Strain and sweeten if desired.

Notes

If using dry flowers, reduced the quantity of herbs to 1 tablespoon.

Nutrition

Serving: 8ounces | Calories: 1kcal
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Angelita says

    August 10, 2022 at 10:04 pm

    I made tea today. I might have used too much flowers. It tasted bitter. I hope I have the right plant

    Reply
  2. Meghan says

    July 29, 2022 at 2:10 pm

    Apparently, chamomile and pineapple weed heals with cramps. They help with menstrual and normal cramps. I’d reccomend making a lavender and pineapple weed tea to help with cramps. Lavender soothes the muscles while pineapple weed heals.

    Reply
  3. Millicent says

    July 22, 2022 at 5:50 am

    Do you know if Pineapple Weed grows in Western New York or in the Southern Frontier of WNY..? I want some so bad! I saw a video where a lady treated her children in a bath of Pineapple Weed – for their eczema and it never came back. I suffer with eczema, as well… Thank you!

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      July 25, 2022 at 10:35 am

      Hi there. I am really not sure, but pineapple weed is wide spread over much of the country, so it’s very likely it does grow in your area.

      Reply
  4. kathie says

    June 11, 2022 at 12:27 pm

    does this interfere with any medicatons?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      June 13, 2022 at 10:51 am

      Not that I’m aware of, but I would check with your doctor to be sure.

      Reply
  5. Suzanne says

    April 9, 2022 at 8:14 am

    I wish we had this weed instead of the look a like that happens to be poisonous. I was so hopeful when foraging but after identifying the plant that is growing in my yard as Ranunculus abortivus, or little leaf buttercup – I just ignore it. The little pineapple shaped pods that grow from the flower look a lot like the pineapple plant that you show… but it isn’t the right plant.

    Reply
  6. Kelly says

    June 27, 2021 at 11:40 am

    I have a ton of it but it does eventually form small white flowers. Your post says it doesn’t flower so do I not have the correct plant?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      June 28, 2021 at 8:48 am

      I don’t believe you have the correct plant. Are you thinking of chamomile? They’re in the same family.

      Reply
    • Teresa McWilliam says

      July 14, 2021 at 8:22 pm

      It could also be Feverfew?

      Reply
  7. Wendy says

    June 21, 2021 at 11:10 am

    Can you dehydrate pineapple weed and use if for tea in the winter

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      June 28, 2021 at 9:15 am

      You sure can!

      Reply
  8. Zandra says

    June 19, 2021 at 12:06 pm

    Can you use the leaves too or just the flowers?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      June 21, 2021 at 9:19 am

      Yes, they’re both edible.

      Reply
  9. Naomi Armendariz says

    May 31, 2021 at 9:12 am

    5 stars
    I’ll have to give this recipe a try! The pineapple chamomile is very abundant this year around my house.

    Last year I adapted the popular dandelion flower tea jelly recipe to use pineapple chamomile instead. It was a massive hit! It also proved to be one of the most effective natural stomach remedy that I’ve come across. My husband has Crohn’s disease so I’m always trying to find new things to help him avoid a flare. He found that if he put a spoon of the pineapple chamomile tea jelly in a mug of warm water, it proved to be a great stomach calmer nearly on par with his usual go to when he feels a flare coming on: marshmallow root extract and chaga extract.

    Thanks for sharing this recipe! My teen girls were out foraging in the woods last week and came across a patch of red clover in a clearing. I love making pink lemonade, but I didn’t really know what else to do with red clover (that sounded interesting). This will be a treat.

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      June 1, 2021 at 11:39 am

      Thanks for sharing, Naomi! I’ve never tried pineapple weed jelly, but it sounds amazing! That may need to be on my to-do list this summer!

      Reply
  10. Corry says

    February 22, 2021 at 7:58 am

    If you or your pets get cuts that get infected soak the wound in a bath or bowl depends on where the wound is . Soak it in hot water and camomile to draw the infection out, in a few days you will notice rapid healing.

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      February 22, 2021 at 8:41 am

      Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  11. Beth says

    June 24, 2020 at 8:30 am

    What do you do to the leaves of pinnapple weed to use it for mosquito repellent?

    Reply
  12. Krista says

    June 11, 2020 at 9:11 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks so much! I have always loved this plant – vividly remember playing with it as a child and my daughter just last week was picking it and asking me if it was edible – we are both so excited to learn about it! Thank you!!

    Reply
  13. Cinda Walton says

    April 28, 2020 at 8:37 am

    Is there a look alike. What I have found, the yellow bloom is not dome shaped, almost flat.

    Reply
    • Pam Broekemeier says

      June 18, 2020 at 9:27 am

      If the yellow bloom is flat, it may be tansy.

      Reply
  14. Anne says

    April 23, 2020 at 2:40 pm

    Has no one else experienced the prickle that this plan forms when it dries out ?…I thought it was heaven sent when it covered my lawn….was like walking on a cloud…UNTIL it dried out and went to seed…..it forms a prickle like a 3 cornered jack and excruciating to walk on….All the write ups about this plant NEVER mentions that…WHY?….I have identified the plant correctly , before any one brings ID up :D

    Reply
    • A.m. says

      July 20, 2020 at 3:15 am

      Most likely it is never mentioned because of two maine reasons in my opinion. One, people harvest before they go to seed. Two, people dont let their yard go through their full cycle. They are always mowing and killing.

      Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      July 20, 2020 at 8:30 pm

      I don’t believe that pineapple weed forms a prickly seed, are you sure that this is the same plant?

      Reply
    • Laurie says

      July 1, 2021 at 5:56 pm

      I am very familiar with this plant in areas that are never mowed. I have never known it to form a prickly seed.

      Reply
    • Linda says

      February 21, 2022 at 7:19 am

      You must be referring to goat head or puncture vine weeds. Yes very painful. As soon as you see them when yellow pull it out and burn them. They multiply like crazy

      Reply
  15. James W. says

    February 9, 2020 at 10:09 pm

    I tried this tea myself and loved it. It has a unique tropical fruit and pine flavor, like a resinous pineapple, and I like it way more than chamomile. They are pretty annoying to harvest, though, so I will probably try growing it next year. Maybe I could try using one of those handheld chamomile head harvesters.

    Reply
  16. Jay says

    August 15, 2019 at 6:03 pm

    Have you tried this in a gallon batch of mead?

    Reply
    • A Like-minded Brewer says

      February 7, 2020 at 7:53 pm

      Great minds think alike; not mead, but I had the thought of using this stuff in an IPA; I’m hoping the fruity, pineapple notes will help create an overall festive, almost tropical aroma to the beer, and recontextualize the flavor and aroma of the hops to hopefully avoid grapefruitiness. If you end up making that mead let me know how it goes.

      Reply
  17. Ira from MN says

    July 11, 2019 at 2:12 pm

    I have lots of gravel-the steep driveway, the many parking spots, walkways to concrete entrances, etc. I encourage this wonderful “weed” to grow on all of them. When wet out, they keep sand from sticking to the soles of your shoes- I am not constantly dragging grit onto the other surfaces or into vehicles. It keeps my driveway from eroding. It smells great-especially when mowed. Mowing does not hurt it. It looks great to me. When thick, I have a natural carpet to walk on, instead of rocks. that doubles as my front door mat! Love it.

    Reply
  18. Vicki says

    June 12, 2019 at 1:15 pm

    I’m going out to pick some right now! Thanks so much! I love your website!!!

    Reply
  19. Karole M Whitney says

    June 3, 2019 at 4:24 pm

    Can you eat the whole plant or only the leaves and flowers?

    Reply
  20. Grace says

    June 2, 2019 at 5:41 pm

    This is great! I found these growing in our yard and thought they looked just like chamomile. And so the quest begun to find out what they are and I strumbled on your website. I am definitely going to make some tea!

    Reply
  21. Dorie says

    June 16, 2018 at 9:35 pm

    Can it be dehydrated to use in winter as tea?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      June 23, 2018 at 12:38 pm

      Yes! Although I would probably just dry the flowers on drying screens rather than dehydrating them.

      Reply
  22. Ana Rose says

    June 16, 2018 at 7:55 pm

    Inspiring! I am sure I’ll love this tea too. Can’t wait to spot some and brew myself a cup!

    Thank you for all your wonderful posts, by the way. I never comment (I’ll try to more!) but I always benefit, not just your from your wisdom but from your clear love for the earth and for us. <3

    Reply

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Hello there! I’m Colleen.

I want to inspire you to live seasonally, become more self sufficient, and protect your health. I share information on foraging and wildcrafting, fermenting and preserving, cooking whole foods from scratch, permaculture gardening, and making herbal products. And that’s just the beginning! Learn more.

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