Carthamus tinctorius: Summerflower Safflower
Friday, January 4th, 2008
SAFFLOWER
In many regions, safflower is one of the principal crops. The plant is also known as the paint thistle because of the dyes that may be produced from it. It has been used as a medicinal herb since antiquity. Its seeds contain a useful oil and have proved to be popular among birds. In flower gardens, safflower is grown mainly for cutting and drying but, in more natural gardens, it may also brighten up a wild-flower border.
Safflowers grow about 39 in tall and have thistle-like foliage that is also somewhat prickly. Varieties for cut-flower cultivation are less prickly. The flower heads are 1 V8 in wide and change from orange-yellow to orange to orange-red. They flower between June and September.
The safflower forms a taproot and likes to grow in a warm spot, preferably in full sun. It tolerates any soil provided it is not wet, but consumes a lot of nutrients and therefore prefers loose, sandy clay. Sow directly, near the surface, in April-May. Transplanting it causes growth defects. Numerous cultivars have been developed from the original species, which grows naturally in western Asia. Special attention was devoted to the sturdiness of the plants and to eliminating the prickliness of the foliage. Carthamus tinctorius ‘Orange Grenade’ has orange to reddish-orange flowers. The plant grows about 32 in tall. Carthamus tinctorius ‘White Grenade’ has the same shape, but bears pale yellow flowers with lemon -yellow streaks. Cut flowers are harvested when the first flowers open. If you want dried flowers, you should wait a little longer until flowering is at its peak but the plant still has some buds. In view of the large size of the flower heads, they should be dried quickly and airily to prevent the growth of mold.