Safflower

A wonderful and easy-to-grow, substitute for true saffron in cooking! Safflower is a wonderful plant with several uses and one of humanity’s oldest crops. Long before true saffron was cultivated, safflower was already a major crop in ancient Egypt. It later spread to ancient Greece where it was called Karthamos, and all the way to China. The Arabs brought it to southern Spain where in the 12th century they selected a spineless strain (safflower is from the “thistle” family). The village of Corrales was founded on the banks of the Rio Grande, and the Spanish colonists had brought safflower seeds possibly collected from their stop in the Island of La Palma, in the Canary Islands, where a famous strain was then cultivated. This Corrales Azafran strain has stayed close to this original seed brought to New Mexico. It is widely adapted; flowers can be used as a coloring spice, dried to brew tea and also, a dye with a deep orange, almost red, pigment. The young plants make a delicious leafy green. The seeds can be pressed into oil. The deep taproots are a very efficient soil breaker.

• 8-12 hours of Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 60-70 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/4"
  
• Plant Spacing: 10"
• Frost Hardy: No
  
• Carthamus tinctorius
  

Growing Tips: Once established, prefers somewhat dry conditions. Needs excellent drainage in high-summer rainfall climates.

Annual. Fantastic deep orange petals that make an excellent saffron substitute. This uncanny similarity to saffron is responsible for safflower’s nickname as “poor man’s saffron”. Not only useful in the kitchen, Dark Orange-Red is a gorgeous ornamental that is a well disguised garden tool. The stiff, almost prickly, plants, have been used for centuries as natural fencing to keep animals out of the garden.

• 8-12 hours of Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 60-70 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/4"
  
• Plant Spacing: 6-10"
• Frost Hardy: No
  
• Carthamus tinctorius
  

Growing Tips: Once established, prefers somewhat dry conditions. Needs excellent drainage in high-summer rainfall climates.