Saffron crocus, or crocus sativus, is a member of the Iris family, Iridaceae. It is cultivated for its bright orange-red stigmas used as spices. Saffron has a nuanced, complex flavor with a sweet floral and subtle earthy taste. Its labor-intensive cultivation, consisting of gathering and processing techniques, makes saffron the most valuable spice in the world. It takes around 4,000 flowers to yield an ounce of saffron or 150 flowers to produce one gram! Planting time is September to early Octob

Saffron is a fascinating plant - in the crocus genus, it grows from little corms that throw out long green spindly leaves and low blooming flowers that produce three orange-red stigmas. These three stigmas ARE what we know as saffron in a spice jar. Even wilder, there is no known example of Crocus sativus in the wild - it appears to be a mutation from a predecessor that is now entirely propagated through human cultivation! | Epic Gardening

The spice saffron is worth more than gold in equivalent weight. It grows from a type of crocus called Crocus sativus. The actual part of the flower you want for saffron is the scarlet red, ribbon thread that protrudes from the crocus flower. It is also known as the stigma, which makes up the female part of the flower. Plant saffron corms now (September) and you should be able to harvest them when they flower in November this year #saffron saffroncrocus | Simon Akeroyd Garden Writer