Saffron Crocus or Crocus Sativus

The excitement is heating up as the bulbs are finishing their growth for the year. It is being harvest time in many countries around the world.  The Middle East is a prime location for big fields of bulbs. India, France and the Netherlands too are other countries growing Saffron Crocus.  Each corm is planted 3″ down and about 2″ apart. They increase over time into clumps.

Growing Saffron Crocus

Plant the corms as soon as you receive them. You can plant them any time of year. Ideally, plant them in the fall after harvest, drying, and shipping from their origin. These bulbs go dormant, similar to naked ladies or other dry-climate bulbs. They send up foliage and flower buds simultaneously. The foliage is thin and grass-like, so most of the visual display comes from the flowers.

Harvesting Saffron Spice and Aftercare

Each flower has three threads of saffron spice and they must be harvested as soon as the flower opens. The threads are plucked off and placed on a surface to dry. They are then ready to be put into an airtight container or used immediately for cooking.

After the blooming period, the corms will divide and produce many smaller corms. Eventually these will grow larger and produce clumps with many flowers. In climates that get frost, the corms may be left in the ground as long as there is not a heavy freeze but will benefit from mulching. Or they can be dug up and brought into a cool basement or garage as long as the temperatures are not freezing as well. If left in the ground, they go through a dry and dormant period during the summer and begin to grow again in the fall and bloom usually in the late fall. It takes 70,000 flowers to produce one pound of saffron, and the price of $5000 per pound indicates the labor that goes into the production of the spice, saffron, and makes it the most expensive spice in the world.