Wikimedia Commons
Asteraceae
Safflower
Carthamus tinctorius
Prosperity and transformation.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Carthamus
- Native to
- Middle East, Central Asia
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- annual
- Height
- 12-36 in
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- well-drained, deep loam
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 2-11
- Lifespan
- annual
Did you know
- Safflower dye was found on linen wrappings of Egyptian mummies dating back 4,000 years.
- It was once called 'bastard saffron' because its orange-red petals were used as a cheaper substitute for true saffron.
- Safflower oil is one of the healthiest cooking oils, containing more polyunsaturated fatty acids than almost any other plant oil.
- The plant has been cultivated for over 4,000 years, making it one of humanity's oldest crop plants.
- Japan's traditional vermillion and crimson pigments used in ukiyo-e woodblock prints were often derived from safflower petals.
Color meanings
0
prosperity
1
warmth
2
creativity