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You are here: Home / Gardening / How to Grow Saffron (Even in Cold Climates!)

How to Grow Saffron (Even in Cold Climates!)

December 22, 2019 by Ashley Adamant 50 Comments

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Growing saffron is surprisingly easy, and saffron readily grows in zones 6 and above without issue.  With a bit of care and attention, you can also learn how to grow saffron in zones 3-5 as well!

Saffron Crocus

The spice saffron comes from the red thread-like stigmas of the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus). Each flower only produces a few tiny threads, which when dried weigh almost nothing.  Those tiny threads are incredibly flavorful, and there’s a reason that saffron is the world’s most expensive spice.

It takes about 150 flowers to yield just a single gram of dried saffron, and a whole field may only produce a pound or two in a season.  Now you understand how the bright red stigmas of this tiny purple flower can sell for as much as $10,000 per pound…

The thing is, no one really needs a pound of saffron.  Recipes are flavored with a few threads or a tiny pinch of this powerful spice.

Growing saffron at home is incredibly satisfying, and all you need is a small patch to supply your family with the freshest, most flavorful saffron imaginable.

homegrown saffron

Where to Buy Saffron Bulbs

It’s important to note that saffron crocus is not the regular spring-blooming crocus.  You need a special variety, known as Crocus sativus.  You cannot just harvest parts of normal spring-blooming crocus or even parts of just any old autumn crocus. 

Saffron crocus is a specific strain, and you should not consume any of the others.

Some nursery centers carry saffron bulbs, but we’ve ordered them in the past from both Fedco seeds and Renee’s Garden Seeds.  They’re also incredibly inexpensive on amazon.

How to Grow Saffron

Unlike common spring crocus flowers, Saffron crocus are fall blooming.  The plants are native to a Mediterranean climate, and they go dormant during the summer to survive dry arid conditions.  The bulbs sprout greenery in the early fall, before putting on a showy display of late fall purple flowers.

A summer dormancy period means that the bulbs are usually dug at producers in mid-summer, and shipped for late summer planting.  I received my saffron bulbs in late summer and planted them on September 1st. 

Early September is a little late here in Vermont, where the autumn season is often cut short by early snow, but it was still plenty of time to harvest some homegrown saffron.

Saffron Bulbs

Start by planting the saffron bulbs in sandy, well-drained soil that’s moderately rich in organic material.  Our soils are clay-filled and wet, so I built a raised bed for growing saffron.  The soil is made up of sand (harvested from the edge of our pond), combined with compost and a bit of peat moss.

The saffron thrived in that light growing medium.

Plant saffron bulbs 3-4 inches deep, and 3-4 inches apart.  The deep depth is important, as the bulbs will multiply by growing new bulbs above the old ones.  If they’re planted to shallow there won’t be enough space for next year’s bulb to develop.

A few weeks after planting, the first thin grassy foliage will appear….

Young Saffron Crocus Sprouts

After the foliage is established, the saffron crocus bulbs will send up numerous pale purple flowers.  It’s kind of impressive how many flowers a single bulb can put out in a year, and even though they’re planted quite a ways apart, each bulb will put out a big cluster of saffron flowers.

It takes 5-8 weeks from planting for the first flowers to appear, but once they get started the flowers keep coming steadily for about 3 weeks.  The prolific nature of the bulbs is important since each one only produces a few saffron threads.

cluster of saffron flowers

The saffron plants will only be visible for a brief fall growing season, and after a few months, they’ll go dormant again until the following fall.  There will be no trace of them whatsoever until that point.

It’s important to carefully mark the location of your saffron bulbs so you don’t accidentally dig them while they’re dormant through the late winter, spring and summer season.  Our saffron bulbs are in a purpose-built bed, and it’d devoted to growing saffron so that makes it easy.

Propagating Saffron Bulbs

Saffron naturally multiplies beneath the soil, and new bulbs will develop atop the original bulb.  They’ll keep growing up toward the surface until they’re just too shallow to stay healthy year-round.  It’s important that they stay deep to weather dry summer conditions or cold winter weather.

Every 4-6 years, dig up the saffron bulbs and break apart the older bulbs from the newly developed bulbs.  Replant them all as you originally did, 3-4 inches deep and 3-4 inches apart.  This will help avoid overcrowding and keep the saffron growing deep in the soil where it’s protected.

Growing Saffron in Cold Climates

Saffron plants can handle mild frosts and continue growing in the fall.  That’s essential here in Vermont where early snows begin right as blooming is just getting started.  We’ll have 20 degree nights and snow flurries right in their peak bloom season.

For the most part, that’s not an issue and keeps on producing until the real hard frosts arrive and the ground is blanketed with snow.

Saffron Flower in the Snow

Generally, saffron is considered consistently hardy to zone 6.  If you’re in zone 6 or above, there’s no real need to do anything special to grow saffron.  Just plant them in the fall, harvest and keep the soil weed-free during their dormant season.

In Zone 5, the saffron bulbs need to be heavily mulched after blooming to help insulate the soil.  If properly mulched, saffron bulbs can be overwintered successfully even in zone 5.  I put down about a foot of straw mulch over our saffron patch just as the first big snowstorm of the season was starting.

Remove the heavy mulch covering in the spring after the lasts frosts have passed, but don’t water or tend them (other than weeding) until the fall.

Insulating Saffron Bulbs

In zones 3 and 4, saffron can be planted in pots and overwintered indoors.  Start by planting several bulbs to a pot in the fall, all about 3 inches apart.  Bury the pot outdoors in a growing bed, covering the rim by at least 2 inches.

After the saffron bulbs have flowered, it’s important to bring this pot indoors.  Wait until the first frosts have passed, but be sure to dig the pots up before the ground actually freezes.

Bring the pots indoors and place them in a cool dry place that’s about 40-50 degrees.  DO NOT WATER THEM.  

The following spring, re-plant the pots out in the garden again.  Wait until after the last frost date, and plant about the same time as your tomatoes. 

Planting Saffron Bulbs

Planting saffron in a pot outdoors. The pot is brought inside to overwinter in very cold climates.

Saffron needs a dry dormant season, so make sure they’re in a well-drained bed and do not water them until the fall.  Obviously, some rain will happen during the summer months, that’s fine, just avoid watering them when you water the rest of your garden.

Then in the fall months, the saffron will sprout up tiny grass-like stalks again and the cycle will repeat itself.

Harvesting Saffron

The first year after planting, the bulbs are still getting established and may not produce heavily.  Generally, the 2nd and 3rd years crops are the heaviest, and then the bulbs are divided in the 4th year.

In the 2nd and 3rd year, each bulb should produce roughly 6 to 9 flowers, each one with three precious saffron threads.

Generally, the whole flower is plucked in the field and then they’re brought indoors to delicately harvest the threads in a clean, dry environment.  Harvest the flowers mid-morning, once the flowers are fully opened and any morning dew has dried.

Bring them indoors and then pluck out the saffron threads from each blossom.

Harvesting Saffron

Saffron needs to be dried immediately to prevent spoilage, but since the threads are so small, they readily dry in a few hours in the sun.  Place the fresh saffron threads in a warm, dry, well-ventilated sunny space for a few hours and they’ll naturally dry on their own.

Once completely dry, store saffron in an airtight container.

Preserving saffron

How to Use Saffron

Once you have your own homegrown saffron, you’ll be amazed at the difference freshness can make.  Some of that difference is more than just freshness…

Since saffron is so expensive, it’s commonly the victim of food fraud.  Corn silk is cut, dried and died bright red and then sold as saffron.  You might be convinced that your “saffron” is just old and the flavor is lost, or perhaps you’ve never even tasted real saffron in your life…just the imposters.

Once you’ve learned how to grow saffron and you’re growing it in your own garden, you’ll be sure that every thread that goes into your cooking is the real thing.

Saffron is common in middle eastern cooking, but it’s also quite popular in European and Nordic countries thanks to the spice trade.  Historically it was reserved for special occasions like Christmas, and there are still many celebration treats that just aren’t complete without it.

Saveur has an unbelievable collection of recipes using saffron from around the world, and now that I have the real thing in my hands I’m going to work my way through it!

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How to Grow Saffron ~ Growing saffron is surprisingly easy, even in cold climates. Learn how to harvest your own homegrown saffron right from the garden.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lucinda

    December 23, 2019 at 1:54 am

    Wow! Great article!

    Reply
  2. Diane

    January 9, 2020 at 1:34 pm

    If growing them in a pot, do you need to sink the pot into the ground again every year? Can’t you just move it outside? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Ashley Adamant

      January 10, 2020 at 1:50 am

      The reason to sink it into the ground is to help regulate temperature, moisture and keep them deep. I imagine it’d work if you just kept them in a pot too, but if it starts to frost early the cold temps might shut them off early without the ground for insulation (otherwise they’ll keep going until they’re buried in snow).

      I imagine though, it may well work just to keep them potted with the right care.

      Reply
  3. Barbara Simoes

    July 26, 2020 at 12:43 pm

    I just ordered a bunch of saffron crocus, and I too, live in Vermont (East Middlebury) which is now considered zone 5. If I choose to plant some in a window box for easy portability, and they have to be stored at 40-50 degrees during the winter, would they require light, or could I put them in my cellar? I have a garage, but it is not insulated, and gets much colder than that. As I’m typing this, I’m thinking that straw in the vegetable garden might be the easiest, but I would like to do the window box idea.

    Reply
    • Ashley Adamant

      January 3, 2021 at 3:48 am

      So this past year I did straw in the veggie garden and didn’t bring them in (even though we’re zone 4) and they did great.

      Reply
  4. Shabnam

    August 8, 2020 at 5:18 pm

    Excellent work by Ashley. So nicely explained all the steps and care. I’m from India, lived in Delhi and recently shifted to the beautiful hills of Uttarakhand. I’m so keen to grow crocus in my garden. Thanks so much for being sharing all details. Keep up the good work and take care of yourself .

    Reply
    • Ashley Adamant

      August 10, 2020 at 10:52 pm

      Wonderful, I really hope it works out for you!

      Reply
  5. Barbara A Simoes

    August 11, 2020 at 11:08 am

    I’ll be using the crate method, as detailed from UVM’s Saffronet site, but they stop short of saying what to do after the harvest. I was thinking that I’d bring the crated into my cellar, but it is pitch black down there as all of the windows have been sealed over with cement in an attempt at energy savings. Will the corms need light when they are dormant, or would this be a good place to store them until spring? Thanks for any help you can supply.

    Reply
    • Ashley Adamant

      January 3, 2021 at 3:47 am

      When they’re dormant and don’t have any leaves they don’t need any light, so that’s a good choice.

      Reply
  6. lisa stuczynski

    August 21, 2020 at 2:14 am

    How do I know which place to buy them is good. On amazon the stars are all over the place. Help in buying..thanks

    Reply
    • Ashley Adamant

      January 3, 2021 at 3:46 am

      I’d suggest trying renee’s garden or fedco seeds, both are reputable suppliers.

      Reply
  7. Mehdi Zamanian

    October 27, 2020 at 11:10 pm

    Hi Ashley,

    Very nice write up. I am originally from Iran and have a natural affinity for this precious flower. I may be the first in Tucson, AZ area, Zee FarmZ in Cochise county to be exact who plans to grow them. The climate is very similar to what we have in the Saffron region in Iran. I am starting with just 100 corms. Your article has been quite helpful.

    Reply
    • Ashley Adamant

      October 29, 2020 at 6:35 pm

      Wonderful, I wish you the best of luck! I’d love to hear how it turns out in a warm climate. Let me know how it goes!

      Reply
  8. Meeraa Bhambure

    October 28, 2020 at 7:58 pm

    Hi.. very well explained information about saffron planting. I have planted 10 saffron bulbs on 30th august this year for the first time. They have already multiplied to 22. The beautiful green foliage is also showing. When should I expect my first saffron flower. I live in hardy zone 6a in the US

    Reply
  9. Ron Reynolds

    November 11, 2020 at 5:57 pm

    what size pots would be best? I am in zone 4B

    Reply
    • Ashley Adamant

      November 11, 2020 at 6:48 pm

      I’m using 2-gallon pots I believe?

      Reply
  10. Carol Martin

    December 28, 2020 at 1:48 am

    Great article- looking forward to attempting to grow saffron corms on our northern Vermont homestead next late summer. If you can recommend any additional reading material, I’d love to learn more. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Ashley Adamant

      December 28, 2020 at 2:10 am

      Wonderful! I actually have had good luck overwintering the saffron outdoors given the mild winters we’ve had the past few, and haven’t brought the pots in at all. They’re actually out there now, still green and in the ground in late December this year. Hope it works out for you.

      No specific resource suggestions, but I did just come across this in my news feed last week: https://vtdigger.org/2020/12/06/vermont-becomes-a-center-for-the-fledgling-u-s-saffron-industry/

      Reply
  11. Shaheda Yeasmeen

    January 14, 2021 at 1:13 am

    I bought 10 corms and it arrived today. The corms has the light green color foliage. Is it a good sign? I have a clay soil in my garden. I want to grow in a pot. What size pot should I use to put those in one pot.. Some suggested that 8 inches high pots is best. How about the depth?
    Thank you for the this article.

    Reply
    • Administrator

      January 14, 2021 at 1:34 am

      I think that an 8 inch high pot sounds about right. You want to plant them 3 to 4 inches deep so that would put your bulbs about midway down.

      Reply
  12. Aya

    March 23, 2021 at 3:24 am

    Hi there! Thank you for your very helpful article. I planted my first bulbs last fall, a little late perhaps as I only had one flower. I’m in Zone 7 and my plants are in containers as I do not have outdoor space – I brought them indoors for the winter as you recommended. The foliage has dried up completely, is it fine to trim this?

    Reply
    • Administrator

      May 14, 2021 at 4:00 pm

      You should be fine to trim off any dried foliage.

      Reply
  13. Tanya

    June 12, 2021 at 5:34 pm

    Hello! This article helped me a lot. Thank you for writing it. So, do you pluck the whole flower of the stem? Or do you only take the saffron?

    Reply
    • Administrator

      June 15, 2021 at 6:02 pm

      Generally the whole flower is picked in the field and then the threads are carefully harvested inside.

      Reply
  14. jardiniere

    August 24, 2021 at 5:15 pm

    the link to fedco above opens to the incorrect variety of crocus. please fix the link so it links to crocus sativus. thanks for the great article!

    Reply
    • Administrator

      August 26, 2021 at 3:51 pm

      Thanks for pointing that out. We will get it added to the list and get to it as soon as possible.

      Reply
  15. Dexter

    October 8, 2021 at 2:00 pm

    I can’t figure out why mine won’t sprout this year. I’m in USDA Zone 6B. I overwintered them indoors then put the pots back out. It is now Oct 8 and nothing came up. I just upended one pot and was surprised to see lots of little bulbs, looking firm and good but no hint of a sprout. 1/4″ to 3/8 estimated diameters.

    Reply
    • Administrator

      October 18, 2021 at 4:44 pm

      Have you grown them before or is this your first year?

      Reply
      • Dexter

        October 18, 2021 at 4:56 pm

        I have been trying for several years. Never got much. Last year I got a few flowers off this same batch in the same pots.
        I tossed the little bulbs yesterday as the larger ones dried up hollow and the tinier ones shriveled to almost nothing.
        I did have the pots out in the sun all summer, only occasionally giving them some water. I still have 2 pots I have not looked into, and they have not sprouted anything.
        Maybe the the bulbs cooked to death?

        Reply
      • Dexter

        October 20, 2021 at 8:38 pm

        I replied 2 days ago via the webform emailed to me, but it is not showing up here. Yes, I have been trying for years with minimal success.

        Meanwhile just now I upended the other 2 pots I had. The larger one had several bulbs in the 3.4″ range and 1 at least 1″. They seem turgid and sound. A couple of them have sprouted about 1/4″ and here it is only Oct 20. I guess I will put these in a shallow pot to see if they grow at all.

        Reply
        • Administrator

          October 26, 2021 at 3:07 pm

          That sounds like a good plan. It definitely sounds like the ones left out in the summer heat with little water probably died. Hopefully, you can salvage the others. Just keep in mind that if you have something in pots it will definitely dry out much faster than plants that are in the ground.

          Reply
  16. Raphael

    October 21, 2021 at 12:06 am

    I see many poeple trying, I am trying…to find a place to buy even worldwide, it seems that there is a season ti buy it, Everywhere oyt of stock, Any ideas? Just looking for a minimum just enough to try and maybe learn something…

    Reply
    • Administrator

      October 26, 2021 at 3:03 pm

      It looks like the links in the post for Fedco and Renee’s Garden are both out of stock. It does look like there may still be some available on Amazon. Otherwise you may have to wait until next year.

      Reply
  17. Mary Ann Lammersen

    November 5, 2021 at 2:15 am

    I hope you can help…I am going to plant the Crocus sativus bulbs tomorrow. I purchased 10 bulbs at the garden center and each one has no roots but 3-5 white shoots that are 1 to 2 inches long. I have been careful not to break these off. I live in USDA zone 7-8 in Lund BC Canada. I want to know if these sprouts are going to become the leaves or the flowers. This will probably determine where I should overwinter them. I will plant them as you suggested with sand in the bottom of a large clay pot at the depth you suggest in loose soil. I can either plant them and put them unwatered in an unheated glass house to hopefully wait til spring to show their green…OR plant them and water them and place them on my porch to watch for flowers in order to harvest the saffron threads and then overwinter them in the glasshouse. Which do you think is the best idea??? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Administrator

      November 8, 2021 at 6:34 pm

      These are fall blooming so they will emerge and flower in the fall and then go dormant again until the following fall. It takes about 5 to 8 weeks after planting for the first flowers to appear. I think I would give them a little water regardless, otherwise they may shrivel up on you. If you put the pot in the greenhouse that may still give you enough time for them to emerge before it gets too cold.

      Reply
      • Mary Ann Lammersen

        November 8, 2021 at 7:37 pm

        Thank you, I’m going to try that. I think their life cycle got disrupted a bit being stored at the garden center. Excited to see what will happen!

        Reply
        • Administrator

          November 11, 2021 at 5:06 pm

          You’re welcome.

          Reply
  18. Hamed Amirkhani

    November 30, 2021 at 10:18 am

    The American saffron industry will have a bright future. Thanks for the good article you published.

    Reply
  19. Sue

    December 10, 2021 at 7:21 pm

    Hi. I planted Saffron bulbs in mid October in Michigan. Today, Dec 10 I have beautiful sprouts and no flowers. There is snow on the plants. 1). Has the time passed for the plants to flower? 2). Can I bring the plants into a warmer environment and will they bloom still? 3) Do I wait until next Fall for a flowering crop?

    Thank you! The article and website is awesome.

    Reply
    • Administrator

      December 10, 2021 at 8:17 pm

      I think the best thing to do is to leave them where they’re at and they should bloom for you next fall.

      Reply
  20. Linda

    July 8, 2022 at 12:32 am

    I’m confused – first, we are not to water the dormant corms, but people talk of dried out bulbs from lack of water. Are they to be watered, and if so, when and how much? Odd little plant that doesn’t want water, but then I’ve never grown flowers before, only vegetables.
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Administrator

      July 12, 2022 at 9:53 pm

      They will get some water in the summer from rain, you just aren’t supposed to give them any additional water. Otherwise they may break their dormancy.

      Reply
  21. Sunny

    October 30, 2022 at 6:15 pm

    To confirm, we start watering 5 to 8 weeks after planing even if we see the green parts breaking the soil right? I bring my saffron indoors so they get 0 water, just trying to figure out when I should start.

    Reply
    • Administrator

      November 10, 2022 at 10:20 pm

      Yes, I would still water them.

      Reply
  22. Brian

    December 26, 2022 at 10:04 pm

    A few weeks after planting pre-sprouted bulbs, the grass has grown to about a foot long and started wilting. I am giving it sun and new sprouts are popping up but all the tall growth is wilting every day and staying down…like tall yard grass is when you don’t cut it. How do I keep it healthy? I water it about every 10 -15 days and it stays in direct sunlight about 5 hours a day (indoors). What do I need to do so that my Saffron won’t wilt? No flowers have grown and it is 3 months old from its first 2 inch sprouts.

    Reply
    • Administrator

      December 28, 2022 at 12:01 am

      Can you tell me which growing zone you are in and what the weather is like there right now?

      Reply
      • Brian

        December 28, 2022 at 1:41 am

        I’m in zone 5. The weather has been snowy/sunny. They are all planted in a planter indoors. I keep my house about 70 degrees and they sit in a window that has a vent below it. The heat comes on maybe 4 times a day. The sun hits them directly for 3-5 hours every single day except the snowy days.

        Reply
        • Administrator

          January 19, 2023 at 7:41 pm

          What kind of soil do you have them in and are you feeding them with anything?

          Reply
          • Brian

            January 29, 2023 at 11:10 pm

            I don’t see my last reply but I’ll tell you again. I am using miracle grow soil. I have an inch of gravel, sand then sand mixed with the miracle grow soil. I did about 70% soil to 30% sand. I wanted them about every 7-10 days with room temperature water. I don’t add any other “plant food” due to the miracle grow soil having “pre mixed soil with plant food”.

          • Administrator

            January 30, 2023 at 6:12 pm

            It may just be the constant temperature in the house. If you are growing them indoors, you really want to simulate the fluctuation between the cooler temperatures and the warmer temperatures. After flowering they will go into their dormant stage and shouldn’t be watered during this time. Right after planting and during the flowering stage, you want to water every other day but then stop during the dormant stage which is usually through the winter, spring and summer.

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