Guide to growing garden plants - Carthamus (Safflower)
Carthamus is a hardy annual that flowers in the middle of summer. it can reach a height of about one metre.
Carthamus has tubular flowers that may be yellow or orange in colour.
Carthamus is often used for culinary purposes.
Names of some of the plants in the genus include Safflower, False Saffron and Saffron thistle.
How to grow Safflower (Carthamus)
When growing Carthamus from seed outdoors it should be planted at a depth of 6mm in light soil of pH 6 to 7 in the early spring, before the last frost of the season. When growing Safflower from seeds indoors they should be sown in peat pots about 8 weeks before they are ready to be transplanted in mid-spring. Safflower seedlings should be planted out with a spacing of 15 to 20cm in a sunny part of the garden.
Harvesting Carthamus for use in cooking
If you are growing Carthamus for culinary purposes then the flower heads should be cut off at the end of summer, and dried. Carthamus makes a good replacement for expensive saffron. In addition to direct use in cooking, safflower oil is often considered a helthier option than using sunflower oil.