A member of the thistle family, it is adapted to both dryland and irrigated cropping systems. The plant does not tiller but does form many branches, each with eight to 10 heads. Each head produces 20 to 100 seeds, depending on variety, soil fertility and soil moisture. A safflower head starts to flower about four weeks after the bud first appears. This continues over two to three weeks.
Maturity occurs four weeks after the last buds are in flower.
Safflower requires dry atmospheric conditions during the bloom period, a condition unfavorable for disease occurrences and favorable for good seed set. At maturity, the bracts surrounding the head are heavily spined, providing protection from birds and other predators. Production practices and equipment requirements are similar to small grains with the exception of a recommended pro-emergent herbicide. The seed is used as an oilseed for vegetable oils, as a diesel substitute and as an olive oil substitute. Crop Rotation Safflower in a rotation can be beneficial if planted when winter wheat fields become infested with grass-type weeds.