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Safflowers Whole

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) is a highly branched, herbaceous, thistle-like annual plant in the family Asteraceae. Plants are 30 to 150 cm tall with globular flower heads having yellow, orange, or red flowers. Safflower is native to arid environments having seasonal rain. It grows a deep taproot which enables it to thrive in such environments.

History and background

Safflower is one of humanity’s oldest crops. It was first cultivated in Mesopotamia, with archaeological traces possibly dating as early as 2500 BC. Early Spanish colonies along the Rio Grande used it as a substitute for saffron. Today, Saffflower is commercially cultivated for vegetable oil extracted from the seeds.

How to use dried Safflowers

Safflower flowers are used in cooking as a cheaper substitute for saffron, sometimes referred to as "bastard saffron" or "false saffron".

Safflower petals contain one red and two yellow dyes. In coloring textiles, dried safflower flowers are used as a natural dye source for the orange-red pigment carthamin.