Safflower

About Safflower

Often sold as fake saffron but is a completely different plant. The petals produce a yellow-red dye used for thousands of years in textiles. The seeds produce a healthy cooking oil high in linoleic acid. It is one of the oldest cultivated crops - evidence dates back 4,000 years in Egypt. It is drought-tolerant and grows in poor soil. The flowers are used in traditional Chinese medicine to improve circulation. It is thistle-like with sharp spines on the flower heads. It can grow 1 meter tall. Iran is the largest producer. It has no relationship to true saffron despite similar uses.