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Asteraceae
Saffron Thistle
Carthamus lanatus
Defense and tenacity.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Carthamus
- Native to
- Mediterranean region, Western Asia
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- annual
- Height
- 12-36 in
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- dry, well-drained, poor
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 6-10
- Lifespan
- annual
Did you know
- Its sharp spines are so formidable that it is classified as a noxious weed in Australia, where it damages livestock and pastures.
- The species name 'lanatus' means woolly, referring to the cobweb-like hairs covering its stems and leaves.
- Like its cultivated cousin the safflower, its petals can produce a yellow dye, though it was rarely used commercially.
- A single plant can produce up to 25,000 seeds, each of which can remain viable in soil for over a decade.
- The sticky glandular hairs on its flower heads can trap small insects, leading some to consider it semi-carnivorous.
Color meanings
0
defense
1
tenacity
2
austerity