Carthamus, Zanzibar

Carthamus ‘Zanzibar’, Carthamus tinctorius, 50 seeds avg.

Rich orange and golden yellow blooms on strong-stemmed plants. Unopened flower buds add unique interest and structure to bouquets. Also known as Safflower.

Planting Tips: 

• A cool-season hardy annual that prefers full sun to part shade.
• Start seeds indoors 4-5 weeks before planting date or cast seeds directly in the garden.
• Cover seeds lightly with soil.
• Allow 10-14 days to germinate.
• Space plants 6-9” apart in the garden.
• Grows to 24-36’’ tall.
• 70-80 days to bloom.
• Winter hardy to zone 7.

Harvesting Tips: 

• Harvest in bud form for use as a filler or once the blooms begin to crack open and show color.
• Harvest the central stem at almost ground level, just above the lowest two to three side shoots.