Safflower, Carthamus tinctorius, is a spiny, thistle-like crop grown in India’s winter season for its oil seeds, mainly in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Its orange florets once dyed cloth red and yellow, and they are still sold as a cheap stand-in for saffron. It is a food oil crop, and its florets are not saffron.
- Botanical name
- Carthamus tinctorius L.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Tamil
- Sendurakam
- Hindi
- Kardi
- Parts used
- Seed oil, Floret (colour)
- Habit
- Thistle oilseed; kusum is a shop word
- Last updated
- 2026-10-25
How to recognise Safflower
It is an upright annual with stiff, spiny-toothed leaves and branched stems.
Each branch ends in a thistle-like head of yellow to orange-red florets, surrounded by spiny bracts.
Seeds are white, smooth and four-angled, like small shiny teeth.
Saffron, Crocus sativus, is a low bulb whose red threads are the stigmas of a purple flower.
Traditional use of Safflower
Oil and dye
Safflower oil is pressed for cooking. The florets were used to dye silk and cotton, and to colour food in India, Egypt and East Asia.
Indian and Asian practice
Kitchen
Young safflower leaves are cooked as a vegetable in parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Deccan food practice
Modern notes on Safflower
Breeders have developed high-linoleic and high-oleic safflower oils for different uses. The high-oleic oil is stable for frying.
The red dye carthamin and yellow pigments in the florets are studied as natural colourants. Florets sold as saffron are a common adulteration.
Safflower safety
The oil is a cooking oil. If you buy saffron, check it is crocus stigma, not safflower florets.
Ecology and sourcing
It is native to western Asia and is grown in dry regions worldwide, including India’s Deccan plateau.
Its deep taproot lets it use moisture left in the soil after the monsoon.
Its spiny leaves discourage grazing animals, so farmers sometimes sow it along field borders.
Related plants
Also in Asteraceae
Questions about Safflower
Is safflower saffron?
No. Saffron comes from crocus flowers. Safflower florets are sometimes passed off as saffron.
Is the oil healthy?
It is a common cooking oil, rich in unsaturated fats.
What is the Hindi name of Carthamus tinctorius?
Kardi or kusum.
Where is Safflower grown in India?
Mainly in Maharashtra and Karnataka, in the winter season.
Sources
- Carthamus tinctorius L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q156625 (Carthamus tinctorius)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.