- Type
- Herbs & Aromatics
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Season
- Spring·Summer
- Sowing
- From seed
Safflower
Carthamus tinctorius
Carthamin, linoleic acid · the flower that dyes red
Safflower is an annual in the daisy family: the flowers give a red dye and the seeds give oil. Sow in March or April and the flowers come up in succession through June and July, opening yellow and turning red. Leaves and bracts carry spines, so pick the flowers in thick gloves. The Donguibogam lists it in the Herb section as 紅藍花, with a warm nature, a pungent taste and no toxicity. The same entry says this is what is now called 紅花, that it dyes true crimson and is made into rouge, and explains the name by noting that its leaves resemble indigo (藍), which is why the character 藍 sits in the name.
Year-Round Calendar
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Where It Grows
- Main producer Grown on a large scale for oil in the fields of the dry steppe.
- Main producer The dry lands of the lower Volga and the southern steppe are the producing areas.
- Major producer A long-established crop on the dry lands of the Deccan Plateau, where the flowers are used as well.
- Major producer The low-rainfall northern Great Plains — Montana, North Dakota and nearby — are the producing areas.
- Major producer Grown as a winter crop on irrigated land in Sonora, in the northwest.
- Major producer In the Xinjiang Uyghur region, cultivation for picking and drying the flowers continues.
Its origin is placed in and around the Fertile Crescent of West Asia, so no single country is named. It is an ancient dye crop — old enough that records survive of its use as a red pigment in ancient Egypt — but pressing oil from the seed has since become the larger use, making it a field crop of dry continental interiors. Cultivation for dried flowers persists in China and India, so the same crop is grown for different purposes depending on the country.
- Optimum
- 20~30℃
- Range
- 10~35℃
- Hardiness
- Half-hardy
It sends a straight, deep taproot, so it stands up well to drought and thrives in sunny, dry continental climates. As a young rosette it will take sub-zero cold, but frequent rain while it is flowering and setting seed brings disease, and standing water rots it from the roots up.
In Korea Nationwide
It can be grown anywhere in the country, but only on a small scale. Sow in March–April, pick the flowers in June–July, and harvest the seed in July–August. In fields where water collects during the monsoon rains the roots rot, so the ridges are raised.
How to grow
- Light
- Six hours of direct sun or more. Short of that the flower stems come thin
- Soil and depth
- Free-draining sandy loam. The taproot goes straight down, so dig at least 30cm and avoid any spot where water sits
- Spacing
- 20cm between plants, 40cm between rows. Crowded plants rot from the lower leaves up
- Watering
- The deep root makes it drought-hardy. Attend to it while germinating, then water only once the soil has dried
- Feeding
- Base dressing mainly. Heavy nitrogen builds leaf and costs flowers
- Harvest
- Pick flowers in June and July, in the morning, as the yellow turns red. One plant is picked over several times. For seed, cut whole plants in July or August once the bracts have dried brown, dry them, then thresh
What makes the difference. Pick with thick gloves and scissors. The bract spines are stiff enough that bare hands do not last. Spread picked flowers to dry in the shade if the red is to survive
Why this one is harder. The rainy season is the test. On ground that does not drain, the plants rot from the root. Raise the ridges and leave generous spacing so air moves through
Common problems
- Aphids You will see Colonies on buds and new shoots, turning sticky What to do Wash off with a jet of water; on a bed grown for flowers, strip them by hand rather than spray
- Root rot You will see Whole plants wilt after the rainy season with a soft, collapsed base What to do Raise the ridges 20cm or more and cut a drainage channel. Lift wilted plants with the soil around them
- Stink bugs You will see Needle marks on ripening seed and shrivelled kernels What to do Bag the heads of seed plants once flowering finishes. Hand-collect in the cool of the morning
This page describes how a crop is grown and used. It does not claim health effects for any food, nor is it intended to prevent or treat disease. Component and study notes are references only and do not mean the same result occurs in people. Consult a medical professional about health concerns.
Health Benefits
What the Donguibogam records — nature, taste and the name. The Donguibogam lists the plant in the Herb section as 紅藍花. It records a warm nature, a pungent taste and no toxicity. The same entry says this is what is now called 紅花, that it dyes true crimson and is made into rouge, and explains that the leaves resemble indigo (藍), which is why that character sits in the name. This is a historical medical record and differs from modern medical judgment.
Analyses of flower pigment and seed oil. Analyses of safflower petals report a water-soluble yellow pigment alongside carthamin, a red pigment that is poorly water-soluble. Work on the seed oil reports that lines split into high-linoleic and high-oleic types. This is compositional analysis and makes no claim about disease.
Nutrition
- Carthamin (deepens as the flower turns red) — the red pigment used for dyeing
- Water-soluble yellow pigment (the first thing to leach out when flowers are soaked) — a water-soluble pigment giving a yellow cast
- Linoleic acid (high in the seed oil of some lines) — an unsaturated fatty acid
The two pigments in the flower Safflower petals hold a yellow pigment that dissolves readily in water and a red one that does not. The old dyeing method soaked the flowers repeatedly to wash the yellow away first, drew the remaining red out with lye, then brought it back with acid to fix it. That red is carthamin. It is also why a fresh flower is yellow and reddens as it ages: the ratio of the two shifts.
Oil from the seed Safflower oil is pressed from the seed. Separate lines exist for high linoleic acid and for high oleic acid, so two oils under the same name can differ in fatty acid profile. The high-linoleic oil has a lower smoke point and suits dressings better than hard frying. Once opened it goes rancid quickly, so keep it cool and use it up.
Steeping the dried petals Dried petals in hot water give a yellow cast first, followed by a faint red. The aroma is slight and the taste faintly bitter. Steeping long to force the colour brings out astringency instead. Do not drink it during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Pairings
○ Dyeing silk and cotton — The red drawn from the petals binds especially well to silk, a protein fibre. Cotton needs an extra mordanting step for the colour to hold. Several light passes give a more even result than one heavy one.
○ Colouring rice flour and noodle dough — The steeped yellow liquid will colour rice cake or noodle dough. The pigment carries almost no flavour of its own, so it leaves the taste largely as it was. Boil it too long and the colour swings brown.
○ Roasted seed — The seed is roasted for flavour, then ground or pressed for oil. The hull is hard enough that unroasted seed is difficult to chew. A light scatter of roasted seed over a dressed vegetable or salad fills much the same role as sesame.
△ Not during pregnancy — Teas and powders made from safflower flowers or seed are not eaten during pregnancy. The usual advice is to avoid them while breastfeeding as well. Anyone planning a pregnancy, or unsure, should check with their doctor first.
△ Folk use of raw seed powder — A folk practice of grinding unroasted, undried seed and taking several spoonfuls a day circulates, and it is not recommended here. Seed is a material for pressing into oil or roasting and using in small amounts. There is not enough established data on what large amounts over long periods do in people.
△ Daisy-family allergy and anticoagulants — People allergic to daisy-family plants may also react to safflower pollen and flower tea. Anyone taking an anticoagulant such as warfarin should check with a doctor or pharmacist before using safflower products. If a spine scratch swells or itches while picking, stop handling the plants.
Varieties
- Low-spine line (seed) — Few spines on the bracts, which makes picking far easier
- Spined landrace (seed) — Fierce spines but a sturdy plant. Long grown for dye
- High-linoleic oil line (seed) — Seed oil high in linoleic acid. Grown for seed rather than flowers
- High-oleic oil line (seed) — Bred up for oleic acid. Presses an oil with a higher smoke point
Source: Donguibogam, Herb Section 紅藍花 · Rural Development Administration (Nongsaro)