Safflower

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), also called false saffron, is a highly branched, herbaceous, thistle-like annual plant in the family Asteraceae. It is one of the world's oldest crops, and today it is commercially cultivated for vegetable oil extracted from the seeds. Plants are 30 to 150 cm tall with globular flower heads. Flowers are commonly yellow, orange and red, but white and cream coloured forms exist. An alternate common name, false saffron, indicates the resemblance of its flower petals to those of saffron.

Traditionally, the crop was grown for its seeds. It was also used for coloring and flavoring foods, in medicines, and for making red (carthamin) and yellow dyes, especially before cheaper aniline dyes became available. Safflower petals contain one red and two yellow dyes. Dried safflower flowers serve as a natural dye source for the orange-red pigment carthamin.

Safflower seed oil is flavorless and colorless, although this depends on the exact method of oil extraction and the cultivar of the safflower. It is used mainly in cosmetics and as a cooking oil, in salad dressing, and for the production of margarine. In cosmetics the seed oil is listed under the INCI name Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil. There are two types of safflower that produce different kinds of oil: one high in monounsaturated oleic acid and the other high in polyunsaturated linoleic acid. In 2023, world production of safflower seeds was 723,875 tonnes, led by Kazakhstan with 33% of the total, and Russia and India as secondary producers.

Safflower flowers are occasionally used in cooking as a cheaper substitute for saffron. The dried safflower petals are also used as a herbal tea variety.

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