How to Grow Safflower
Carthamus tinctorius
Safflower is a drought-tolerant annual herb for full sun and well-drained soil. Sow direct or start under cover after the last frost — it dislikes root disturbance so transplant carefully. Water sparingly once established. Harvest the vivid orange flowers for use as a saffron substitute, for dyeing, or for herbal tea. Leave some heads to ripen for seed if you want to harvest the oil-rich seeds or save for next year.
In your Leaftide garden - Hardiness
- Half Hardy
- Season
- Warm Season
- Harvest
- Continuous Harvest
- Spacing
- 30 cm
- Height
- 90 cm
- Sow depth
- 1 cm
- Min. soil temperature
- 10°C+
- Start from
- Seed
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Low
When to Start
Sow indoors 3 weeks before last frost, or direct sow outdoors after frost risk has passed and soil reaches 10°C.
Don't know your frost date? Find it here →
Growth Stages
Approximate days from start
Care Essentials
- Apply a balanced fertiliser at planting. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds which produce leafy growth at the expense of flowers and seed.
- Safflower petals are used as a saffron substitute for colouring rice and dishes, and to make herbal teas. The seed produces a high-quality culinary oil. Drought tolerant — thrives on minimal water once established.
Growing Conditions
- Min. soil temperature
- 10°C+
- Germination temperature
- 15–25°C
- Sow indoors
- —
- Transplant out
- —
- First harvest
- —
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Spacing & Planting
| Plant spacing | 30 cm |
| Row spacing | 45 cm |
| Sow depth | 1 cm |
| Mature height | 90 cm |
| Mature spread | 40 cm |
Space generously for air circulation; safflower dislikes crowding which encourages fungal issues.
Growing Conditions
| Min. soil temperature | 10°C |
| Germination temperature | 15–25°C |
| Base growth temperature | 5°C |
| Photoperiod sensitivity | day neutral |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How far apart should I plant Safflower?
- Plant Safflower 30cm apart with 45cm between rows.
- When can I harvest Safflower?
- Safflower is ready to harvest approximately 75 days after transplanting.
- Is Safflower frost hardy?
- Safflower is classified as Half Hardy.