Safflower 'Ara'

The sturdy stems (80-120 cm high) bear dark green leaves and deep orange, plume-shaped flowers on thistle-like flower heads, which can be a little prickly. A valuable addition to the long-lasting cut flower assortment and also very popular as a dried flower.
The petals are edible and are often (openly or secretly) used as a substitute for expensive saffron. They give your dishes the same attractive color, garnish just as subtly, but lack the specific taste of saffron.
Safflower is very healthy for internal and external use; just look it up in many sources on the internet or in books. The flowers yield a red dye, which is used, for example, for traditional maiko and geisha lipstick (benibana) in Kyoto, Japan. Clear safflower oil is pressed from the seeds, widely used in paints, but also in margarine and dressings.
Interesting websites:
https://nitta-yonezawa.com/en/benibana
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322245
The sturdy stems (80-120 cm high) bear dark green leaves and deep orange, plume-shaped flowers on thistle-like flower heads, which can be a little prickly. A valuable addition to the long-lasting cut flower assortment and also very popular as a dried flower.
The petals are edible and are often (openly or secretly) used as a substitute for expensive saffron. They give your dishes the same attractive color, garnish just as subtly, but lack the specific taste of saffron.
Safflower is very healthy for internal and external use; just look it up in many sources on the internet or in books. The flowers yield a red dye, which is used, for example, for traditional maiko and geisha lipstick (benibana) in Kyoto, Japan. Clear safflower oil is pressed from the seeds, widely used in paints, but also in margarine and dressings.
Interesting websites:
https://nitta-yonezawa.com/en/benibana
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322245

Names:
Latin: Carthamus tinctorius
Dutch: Saffloer
Also known as: False Saffron, Orange Thistle
English: Safflower