Carthamus tinctorius Seeds | Safflower
LATIN NAME: Carthamus tinctorius
COMMON NAME: Safflower
Plant Profile
Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) is a distinctive species in the daisy family. Safflower dyes upright, branching stems with oblong, glossy-green leaves and round, thistle-like heads of bright-orange and yellow florets that open through summer, the whole plant carrying the bold, warm colour. Florets dry well and keep rich tone, and flowers draw the bees. It likes sun, and light, well-drained soil. When it flowers, local bees and other insects make good use of it. Not many plants ask so little and repay so much.
Science & Biotechnology
Safflower is two crops in one: a saffron-substitute dye flower of antiquity and a modern oilseed. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia controls the flower (hong hua) through hydroxysafflor yellow A, a chalcone glycoside that is the major water-soluble pigment and the focus of research on microcirculation and anti-thrombotic effects; purified HSYA preparations are used clinically in China for cardiovascular indications. The same flower’s red carthamin dyed the robes of Buddhist monks. The seed oil, among the richest in linoleic acid, is the garden’s second harvest.
Within the daisy family, Carthamus tinctorius is of continuing interest to researchers working on plant diversity, seed biology and the selection of improved garden forms. In daisy family, safflower holds a long, double record in studies of dye and oil crops, and species appears in research on floret pigments and seed oils. In the laboratory and trial ground alike, it serves as workable material for propagation research and line selection.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Safflower for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. In sunny garden, safflower dyes cloth and oils the kitchen. Orange florets have coloured textiles, cosmetics and foods for generations, seeds press into light cooking oil, and flowers feed the bees. It stands heat and dry spells well and grows in light, well-drained, sunny ground. It takes hold quickly and asks for no special treatment from then on.
Safflower has double value: its flowers, Hong Hua, are a major Chinese blood-moving herb with flavonoid pigments studied for circulation effects, while its seed oil is prized for high linoleic or oleic content depending on the variety.
Growing from Seed
Sow fresh seed of Safflower under ordinary good conditions. Surface-sow onto a light, well-drained compost, dust over a thin covering, and keep evenly moist and sunny until the seedlings show. When the young plants are big enough to handle, space them into pots or a nursery row and let them size up before their final move.
Our Take
Safflower repays a little patience at sowing time with plenty of garden presence later.
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