300 SAFFLOWER Saffron Carthamus Tinctorius Yellow Orange Flower Seeds *Comb S/H BLOOM TIME: Mid Summer HARDINESS ZONE: Annual / Biennial PLANT HEIGHT: 24 - 36" . . . PLANT SPACING: 12 - 15" LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Sun - Part Shade . . . SOIL / WATER: Average The Safflower is a Mediterranean native. It is one of the oldest crops harvested by humans and was used as a dye by the ancient Egyptians as far back as the 12th dynasty . Its petals may be used as a substitute for saffron, and the seeds are very popular with birds and are often found in birdseed mixes. It is commercially cultivated for vegetable oil (safflower oil) that is extracted from the seeds. Dried Safflower petals are used in a wide variety of herbal remedies. Safflower oil is also being looked at by the bio-diesel, weight loss, and heart disease prevention experts.