Safflower, aka Carthamus Tinctorius, is an herbaceous annual with bright yellow to orange flowers and a deep tap root. Safflowers have been used as a textile dye since ancient Egypt and are occasionally employed in cooking as an affordable substitute to saffron. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, safflower is called hong hua and employed for its warming and bitter energetics. Safflower petals and stamens can be steeped as a tea, employed in infusions, used as a spice, or applied externally.