Family: Iris (Iridaceae)

Hardy to Zones 6 to 9

Perennial bulbous plant flowering to 6 inches, native to Southern Europe, Asia Minor and Iran.  Blooming in Oct, the flowers are purple, cupping the long orange-red stigmas–the spice. Plant prefers rich, sandy, well-drained soil in the part shade or sun.

Source of the enticing spice”saffron.” Just a few threads will impart a lovely color to rice and other dishes, lending a delicious taste and fragrance.  Traditional uses (always very low dosage):  Stomachic, antidepressant, oral cleanser, sedative and analgesic. Saffron water is often used in ceremonies to cleanse and make ready for empowerment. As a dyeplant, produces the golden yellow color associated with the robes of spiritual adepts.

Cultivation:  Plant these dormant bulbs immediately on receipt for emergence in  the  fall.    Usually  flowers  the  second  year,  although  the  biggest  bulbs  may  flower  soon after planting.  The bulb sends up a spearlike growth of green (see photo accompanying this write-up).   Plant  bulbs  “tip  up”  in  well  drained  soil,  3  inches  deep  and  6  inches  apart.   Depending on when the bulbs are purchased and in what season they are planted, emergence may take as little as 3 weeks or as long as 5 months.  The  bulbs  work  excellently  in  pots, and planting in 3-gallon pots is a good way to assure success while increasing the size and number of bulbs in short order.  This technique also protects the bulbs from predation by groundsquirrels or gophers.  Saffron can also be gainfully grown in raised beds protected by hardware cloth underneath.  The soil used to fill the beds should be sandy yet rich, kept well-weeded and watered infrequently.

What you will receive:  Bag of 6 dormant  bulbs, top size as per image, appx 1 inch diameter, available within the US only