How to Grow Saffron: Tips for Growing and Harvesting Saffron

Known as the most expensive spice in the world, saffron is a spice derived from the flower stigmas of the saffron crocus plant—Crocus sativus—a member of the iris family. Native to the Asia Minor region, most saffron (about 85 percent) is now produced in Iran and used for culinary purposes as well as for medicine, dyes, and perfumes. Saffron is also grown in the United States, most notably in Pennsylvania.

Culinarily, saffron is prized for both its aromatic flavor and beautiful golden color. The saffron spice is a common ingredient in Spanish dishes like seafood paella. Use saffron threads to enhance the flavor of rice, couscous, and stews.

Growing your own saffron crocus bulbs is easy, and the red stigmas produce a yield of expensive saffron spice. Follow these steps to plant saffron and care for saffron in your home garden.

1. 1. Choose a hospitable environment. Saffron crocus flowers thrive in USDA hardiness zones six through eight. Find a dry place with full sun for optimal growth.
2. 2. Plant saffron in milk crates. Some growers find that saffron grows better in milk crates than directly in a garden. This protects the plants from rodents, and makes it possible to move the plants indoors in the winter in areas colder than hardiness zone six.
3. 3. Select a well-draining soil. Saffron grows best in a well-draining soil rich with added mulch and other organic matter.
4. 4. Plant your saffron crocus bulbs. Find saffron bulbs at any nursery and plant them in your yard in early fall. Plant ten crocus bulbs per square foot of space.
5. 5. Water your saffron plants. Saffron thrives in dry Mediterranean climates. Lightly water or mist the soil if rainfall is less than six inches per month where you live. This autumn-blooming crocus will show foliage in the early spring and sprout showy blooms the following fall. After blooming, saffron corms reach a stage of dormancy when the leaves and flowers wither. Dormant corms can rot and die if left in wet soil. But in the right soil conditions, new leaves will form and your saffron will flower once again in September.
6. 6. Make room for more flowers. Saffron plants increase each year when the corms multiply below the soil and produce new flowering plants.
7. 7. Fertilize your saffron plants. Fertilizing saffron plants is optional, but feeding them once a year can promote growth.

By late summer, your saffron will be almost ready to harvest and fully ready in the fall. Harvesting saffron involves carefully plucking the stigmas from the pointy flowers. Use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to remove the stigmas. After harvesting, dry the stigmas with a paper towel, and preserve them in an airtight container. For maximum flavor and freshness, use saffron within six months of harvesting.

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