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Saffron Crocus

Crocus sativus

$9.99
$9.99 $13.32
per Bag of 15
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ZONES  6-10 | Good to grow! Zone
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Saffron is worth its weight in gold, so it pays to grow your own! These beautiful purple crocus flower in fall and offer you pure, prized edible saffron on each flower's stigmas. Easy to grow and exceptional in containers. (Crocus sativus)

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Description

Saffron: This is far and away the most popular fall-flowering crocus, and here's why. In recent years, the spice, saffron, has become increasingly expensive, (often as high as $70 oz.) so more and more gardeners are growing their own. These beautiful purple crocus will open and offer you pure saffron on each flower's 'stigmas.' It's easy to harvest, and fresher than any you can buy. Harvesting Saffron: When the flowers are fresh, simply remove the bright red stigmas you'll see in each flower's center; they carry the saffron spice. You can use it immediately in the fresh form, or dry it for later use. To dry your saffron, simply spread the red stigmas out for several days on a paper towel in a warm dry place. Once they're dry, store them in an air-tight container in a cool place, and use the saffron whenever you like.

Planting & Care

How to Plant Fall Flowering Crocus

Fall Flowering Crocus create quick, delightful beauty in the fall garden just weeks after being planted. We ship them in August, along with the Bearded Iris, to be planted right away. They're great in the ground or in patio pots---anywhere you want to add jewel-like color for your fall garden. In just days, you'll see them poking up through the ground, and before you know it they're in bloom, just when everything else in your garden is almost finished! It's a wonderful finale of color that just won't happen without these beauties.

How to Plant:

1. Plant bulbs as soon as possible after receiving them.


2. Read the label to see how deep to plant your crocus – This may vary for different varieties of bulbs.

3. Find a sunny spot in your garden that has good drainage – Crocus bulbs do not like very moist soil. You can also plant Fall Flowering Crocus in patio pots.

4. Dig a hole according to the depth on your package. Add organic compost if available.

5. Plant bulb pointy side up. Don’t worry if you can’t decipher which end this is – The flower will find its way up.

6. Back-fill with soil and water thoroughly to remove air pockets.

You should see blooms in 6 -10 weeks.

If you are planting Saffron Crocus bulbs to harvest the stamens to cook with, you will want to do this once they begin blooming.

Harvesting Saffron: When the flowers are fresh, simply remove the bright red stigmas you'll see in each flower's center; they carry the saffron spice. You can use it immediately in the fresh form, or dry it for later use. To dry your saffron, simply spread the red stigmas out for several days on a paper towel in a warm dry place. Once they're dry, store them in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place, and use the saffron whenever you like.

Further Reading

Shipping

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As soon as your order is placed you will receive a confirmation email. You will receive a second email the day your order ships telling you how it has been sent. Some perennials are shipped as potted plants, some as perennial roots packed in peat.  The ‘Plant Information’ section describes how that item will ship. All perennials and fall-planted bulbs are packaged to withstand shipping and are fully-guaranteed. Please open upon receipt and follow the instructions included.

Perennials and fall-planted bulbs are shipped at the proper planting time for your Growing Zone. Perennial and fall-planted bulb orders will arrive separately from seeds. If your order requires more than one shipment and all items are shipping to the same address, there is no additional shipping charge. See our shipping information page for approximate ship dates and more detailed information. If you have any questions, please call Customer Service at (802) 227-7200 or contact us by email or chat.

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Key Features

Light Requirements

  • Full Sun
  • Half Sun / Half Shade

Bloom Time

Fall

Advantages

  • Naturalizes
  • Easy To Grow
  • Container Planting

Additional information

Mature Height

4" tall

Bulb Spacing

12 per sq ft

Soil Type

  • Average Soil
  • Well-Drained Soil
  • Loamy Soil
  • Sandy Soil

Soil Moisture

  • Average
  • Dry

Flower Bulb Size

9+ cm

Planting Depth

2" deep

Planting Time

  • Late Summer

Plant Classification

Introduced Species

Growing Zones

  • Zone 6
  • Zone 7
  • Zone 8
  • Zone 9
  • Zone 10

Additional Information

12 per sq ft
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Overall rating: 4.5925927 / 5 from 189 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

Saffron Crocus offers beautiful and fragrant saffron, with customers appreciating its fall blooms and ease of harvest. The plants are healthy and grow quickly, providing a vibrant color to your fall garden. Saffron can be harvested fresh or dried for later use, making it a valuable addition to any garden.

Summary topics

  • Saffron Quality: 11%
  • Fall Blooms: 7%
  • Plant Health: 11%

Review topics: ["instructions","color","replacement","service","quality","customer service","look","buy","results","value","water","price","weather","beauty","work","bulbs","flowers","saffron","plants","crocus","growing","blooms","leaves","harvest","bloomed","fall","soil","meadows","foliage","squirrels"].

Review highlights

  • "This product has consistently bloomed with fragrant saffron." — Nancy R.
  • "They have been steadily growing over the last year, and I'm excited about the harvest I'm going to get this year!" — Jalene
  • "My potted plant thrived and bloomed exquisitely." — A. J.

Reviews

First time saffron crocus, learning

"I planted them outside at first, but within a few weeks I decided to I had to dig them up and bring them inside. So my first blooms I harvested the stamens, now waiting for more to come up and bloom. I live in zone 4-5, and was just a little (x2) over optimistic about how fast the crocus would sprout planting outside at first, lol, but see the pictures I’ve attached, success! I’ve also invested in a warming mat to be used only for about 5 hours on cloudy days to keep the temperature stable during the day."

— Dawn (5/5)

Saffron Sativa corms - wow!

"So I have to admit I was a little skeptical that these corms would grow as I have never done business with American Meadows before. Fellow gardeners have told me to not get my hopes up for flowers the first year. Well-I am here to stay!!! I planted 45 American Meadows Saffron Sativa corms on September 21, 2025. Most if not all the corms sprouted and I’m proud to say I started harvesting saffron today! I could not be more pleased!! I’m on the waitlist for more Summer 2026 😃"

— Christine S. (5/5)

Delightful experience

"Beautiful, easy and fast. 4 hours passed between sprouting and open flower with saffron stems! All bulbs sprouted."

— Noga S. (5/5)

Not a single crocus came up!

"Wanted to grow some saffron for cooking. I have had great experiences with American meadows in the past. This time the order was slow to arrive, I planted the crocus as soon as they arrived. Nothing came up! These should be fall blooming. Now we are into hard fall freezes and the garden is done."

— Gabrielle (1/5)

Well worth my money and time.

"Finally decided to grow my own saffron for cooking!"

— Cyn (5/5)

I would not buy this product again

"would have expected to see some sprouts in 3 weeks. So far nothing. Said I should have blooms in 6 weeks. half way there and no signs of activity."

— Tom (2/5)

332 Locust Rd

"I was thrilled with American Meadows' quality. I appreciate they shipped early enough in the season that my corms bloomed the first year. I have learned, though, that I need to lift and store the corms due to our weather along Lake Michigan. Between animals eating them, and the rains rotting them, nothing survived the first year. I am ordering another round, and I have protective netting for the raised bed to keep the critters at bay, and I have cardboard and straw for storing indoors overwinter."

— Ritzie (5/5)

It took a little patience, but everything went well!

"It took a little longer than expected for the corms to sprout in Zone 9 Texas. It's not stated in the planting instructions, but peeling the outer covering of the corm seemed to help speed things up. Customer support was very responsive and held my hand during the process. The flowers are very pretty and I wasn't expecting multiple heads to come out of a single corm!"

— CC (5/5)

This is definitely a great buy.

"Learned lesson. . . this beautiful corcus was at its best then I left them in the rain in tubs. BAD CHOICE. They rotted from too much water and cold. I'm not discouraged. I'll be placing my order for late summer 2025 as soon as they are restocked."

— Harley (5/5)

Naturalizing in under a year

"Bought and planted in fall of 2023. Got a harvest in December. Now it's October 2024 and the single bulbs have naturalized into clumps of 5 or so. Thats a huge multipler when you only get 3 strands of saffron per flower. Highly recommend. I'm growing in raised beds in Philadelphia PA."

— Lu (5/5)

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