Zanzibar Safflower is a compact, easy-to-grow variety of one of the world’s oldest cultivated crops. Seeds and dried garlands of safflower were discovered in the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun more than 3,000 years ago, where they were prized for their vivid dye, oil, and lasting beauty. Today, it offers that same connection to history—along with practical value for modern homesteads. While often grown as a striking cut flower known as Carthamus, we value Zanzibar especially as a nutritious chicken feed component or scratch grain. The plants reach about 24 inches tall and produce oversized buds that are beautiful even before they open, then burst into blazing orange blooms that gradually deepen to a rich red-orange. The nearly thornless plants are easier to handle than traditional safflower types, making harvest simpler for both flowers and seed. Once mature, the seed heads can be dried and fed to chickens as a nutritious supplemental treat, especially appreciated by scratch-loving flocks. Pollinator-friendly, drought-tolerant, and productive, Zanzibar is one of those rare plants that manages to be both beautiful and genuinely useful. Approximately 70-80 days to flowering. Each packet contains a minimum of 100 seeds.
