Safflower

Safflower is an annual herb. It is native from Central Turkey to Iran. Safflower is an herb with multiple uses, and it has been cultivated since antiquity. Safflower seeds are crushed to produce vegetable oil. The yellow, red, or orange flower heads provide a long-lasting red dye for textiles. The flower petals are often used culinarily as a less-expensive substitute for saffron particularly when cooking rice.

In Egypt textiles dated to the twelfth dynasty were dyed with safflower. Whole safflower seeds and linen cloth that had been dyed with safflower flowers were both found in the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun (c. 1324–1323 B.C.). Le Calendrier de Cordoue (c. 961–976 A.D.) records that safflower (‘așfar in Arabic) was being grown in the gardens of Islamic Iberia.

return to more Herbs Past