Lorenzo Trussoni Heirloom

Dried flower petals were used as a saffron substitute by donor's family. Harvest petals when fresh and dry them inside. Flower color ranges from yellow to orange-red. Flowers are quite vivid and ornamental. Petals retain their color when dried. Care must be taken when harvesting flower petals because plants have very spiny bracts and leaves. Plants reach about 2 feet tall. Plants begin flowering the second week of July at Heritage Farm. Dark green, leathery foliage. This Italian heirloom safflower is from the Trussoni family of Wisconsin. Descendant Marilyn Leum, grew this flower for at least 35 years before sharing seeds with SSE in 2015. Her grandfather, Lorenzo Trussoni, left Italy in 1889 when he emigrated from Fraciscio in the Campodolcino region of northern Italy. He was in his early 20s and left home because there was no work. He found employment in northern Wisconsin as a logger, eventually saving to buy a farm near Genoa, WI. Today, the safflower is grown not only by Trussoni descendants, but by much of the Italian-American community in and near Genoa. The dried, safflower anthers are used in a risotto type dish called "rizzot" (pronounced ri-ZOT) that is prepared for holidays and contains rice and cheddar cheese. Marilyn’s mother made rizzot for holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas as well as special occasions. SSE Accession # 132980