Have you ever encountered the aromatic remnants of the world famous spice, saffron? Or tried the honey-sweet taste in many dishes? Saffron or Crocus sativus is a beneficial spice that is considered as expensive as gold. But if you want to have this phenomenal spice in your garden, do you know how to go about it? Well, don’t worry. We are here to provide information about saffron or kesar flowers.
Saffron flower: Quick facts
| Botanical Name | Crocus sativus |
| Common Name | Saffron plant, kesar plant |
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Order | Asparagales |
| Family | Iridaceae |
| Genus | Crocus |
| Life Cycle | Perennial |
| Mature Size | Around 10-30cm tall |
| Cultivation | Iran, Greece, Morocco, and India |
| Benefits | Medical and culinary uses |
Saffron flower: Physical description
Crocus sativus has a corm, which holds leaves, bracts, bracteole, and the flowering stalk. These are protected by the corm underground. Saffron crocus is a beautiful plant with purple-coloured flowers. The saffron crocus is a sterile triploid mutant of the eastern Mediterranean fall-flowering plant. The saffron crocus is the result of intense artificial selection applied to its parent plant by farmers who sought elongated stigmas. As the plant is sterile, the saffron crocus’s purple flowers fail to produce viable seeds. Therefore reproduction can only be done artificially.
Curious about how it is done? A corm that grows underground is dug up manually, broken, and replanted for the beautiful purple flowers to appear. The corms are little brown globules with a diameter of up to 4.5 cm and are covered in a thick mat of parallel fibres. When in bloom, the plant is typically less than 30 cm tall and has lovely blooms with hues ranging from lavender to purple. Each bloom has a three-pronged style inside of it, and each prong ends with a 25–30 mm long, scarlet stigma.
Source: Pinterest
See also: Tips to grow and take care of anthurium
Saffron flower: How to grow?
- You will need to purchase some Crocus sativus (saffron crocus) corms or bulbs in order to produce saffron at home; the more you have, the more saffron you may harvest.
- Late in the summer, plant the bulbs. They may be cultivated in pots, a cold greenhouse, well-drained grass, or well-drained soil. The plants thrive in clusters in flower beds and rockeries and are excellent for edging paths and borders when planted in grass.
- The bulbs should be planted in compact bunches that are 5 cm deep and 10 cm apart.
- After planting, make sure the soil receives enough sunlight and doesn’t grow soggy.
- Before the leaves turn in the fall, the flowers will blossom. Unfortunately, the blossoms fade in just one day, so the vivid crimson threads must be immediately harvested and preserved. Since only three stigmas are produced by each bloom, carefully remove the threads with tweezers.
- The threads should be left indoors on a paper towel for a few days to completely dry out before being stored in an airtight container in a warm, dry location. The powder made by crushing the stems may then be used in a variety of sweet and savoury recipes to lend a sweet, earthy flavour.
- Leave the plant to naturally wither once it has flowered, and then prune it when it turns yellow.
Saffron flower: Care tips
Saffron plant: Sunlight requirements
Saffron plants prefer a site with either full sun or very little shade. You run the danger of receiving a poor yield if your plants don’t receive at least four to six hours of direct sunlight during bloom time.
Saffron plant: Soil requirements
The kind of soil doesn’t really matter to this plant. However, it must be well-draining, and a loamy, humus-rich variety produces the greatest results.
Saffron plant: Water requirements
In the summer, the Sativus crocus variety stays dormant. They shouldn’t be watered throughout this time.
They don’t often require a lot of irrigation, as one might anticipate from a plant that is commonly cultivated in dry areas. They are moderately drought-tolerant once planted, but too much rainfall can harm or rot the bulbs.
Light watering may be necessary if there is a very dry spell, but other than that, they may survive on only natural rainfall.
Saffron plant: Temperature and humidity requirements
Saffron crocuses flourish in a continental environment with distinct seasonal differences. They thrive during hot, dry summers. For this plant, too much humidity is a major issue.
The bulbs won’t develop as well if they are exposed to extremely harsh, frigid winter conditions, which might lead to subpar blooming. If you expect the temperatures to drop drastically, you may assist in preserving the plants by mulching the area surrounding them with compost or straw.
Saffron plant: Fertiliser requirements
When planting Saffron Crocus bulbs, adding organic fertiliser to the soil might be beneficial.
After they’re established, you could give them fertiliser treatments once a year, but under ideal circumstances, they probably won’t need any further fertiliser.
Source: Pinterest
Saffron plant: Pests and diseases
Cultivating saffron crocus comes with its share of challenges. In the autumn, chipmunks and squirrels can be problematic, while moles, voles, mice and rabbits may feed on the foliage and corms during winter. Throughout the growing season, the saffron mite is known to target damaged corms, although planting them more than 5 inches deep can deter this pest. Towards the end of the saffron season, thrips lay eggs in the leaves, causing unsightly spots, though this doesn’t significantly impact the harvest. Preventing corm rot and root rot typically involves judicious watering and planting in well-drained soil.
Saffron flower: Uses
Saffron is one of the most famous spices sold by its weight. It can provide a rich orangish-yellow hue to make your dishes look mouth-watering and enhance the aroma to another level. It can be added to make haldi-kesar milk, which not only helps in reducing cold and fever but also helps in memory retention.
Saffron grows almost exclusively in an area limited to the east by Iran and Kashmir and to the west by the Mediterranean Sea. Other than Antarctica, all of the continents produce less.
Every year, over 300 t (300,000 kg) of dried entire threads and powder are collected, of which 50 t (50,000 kg) is premium “coupe” saffron. Iran accounts for 90–93% of world output and exports the majority of it.
Several of Iran’s arid eastern and southeastern regions, such as Fars, Kerman, and those in the Khorasan area, produce the majority of the world’s contemporary goods. Greece, which was placed second in 2005, produced 5.7 t (5,700.0 kg), while Morocco and Kashmir, which were tied for third place, each produced 2.3 t. (2,300.0 kg).
Source: Pinterest
Saffron flower: Benefits
The saffron extracted from the saffron plant is a widely used spice with many health benefits. The rewards of working on this lovely plant are worth the effort, even if growing the saffron plant might be a bit of a long process. Here are a few of saffron’s health advantages.
- It is a powerful antioxidant
Notable saffron antioxidants include crocin, crocetin, Safranal, kaempferol, etc.
- Helps in improving mood and depressive thinking
Did you know saffron is called the sunshine spice? Not just because it gives a beautiful yet distinct colour but also because it improves your mood. According to some research, saffron may be useful in curing mild-moderate depression.
- It may act as an aphrodisiac
Aphrodisiacs are supplements that help boost your libido. It is observed in many studies and research that saffron may have aphrodisiac properties — especially in people taking antidepressants. Women with low sexual desire, especially due to taking antidepressants, may take up to 30 mg of saffron daily for over 4 weeks. It helps in reduced sex-related pain and increases sexual desire.
- It helps in reducing appetite and aids in weight loss
There were a few studies that showed the effects on appetite and weight loss. While there is still no explanation about how saffron affects the appetite of humans, one theory proposed states that because saffron uplifts the mood, people are more likely to avoid binge eating and snacking every once in a while.
How to harvest saffron?
Towards the end of summer, your saffron will be nearing harvest, reaching full readiness in the fall. The harvesting process entails delicately plucking the stigmas from the pointed flowers. You can use your fingers or a pair of tweezers for this task. Once harvested, carefully dry the stigmas with a paper towel and store them in an airtight container. To ensure maximum flavour and freshness, it’s recommended to use saffron within six months of harvesting.
FAQs
Is Saffron poisonous?
Taking large amounts of saffron by mouth is possibly unsafe. Taking a dose of less than 1.5 gm is the safe limit. High doses of 5 grams or more can cause poisoning and should be avoided. A keen check should be taken over the consumption of saffron to ensure that there are no repercussions.
Is there an astrological aspect of where to keep saffron crocus at home?
From an Astro-herbal perspective, saffron is considered solar. This means that according to the planetary properties of the plant, it has one ruler- the Sun. As a herb of the Sun, saffron fortifies our hearts and radiates its warmth throughout our bodies, uplifting our spirits in the process.
Where was Saffron grown initially?
It is believed that saffron originated and was first cultivated in Greece, but today the spice is primarily grown in Iran, Greece, Morocco, and India. There is debate on where saffron originated, with some suggesting that it comes from modern-day Iran and others referencing Greece and Mesopotamia for its origins.
Which saffron in the world is regarded as the best?
Many people believe Kashmiri saffron to be the best saffron in the world, and with good reason. It is distinguished by its unusual red colour and sweeter, more flowery flavour. It is grown in the Kashmir Valley of India.