All about Saffron
The saffron crocus is a beautiful perennial that grows to about a foot tall in zones 6 to 9. In colors of white, lavender, and a light purple, they produce a yellow-orange stigma which if harvested in the fall after flowers are fully open, can then be dried and used in cooking. Place saffron corms root side down 2 to 3 inches below the soil surface in spring or fall. To harvest, simply pluck stigmas from the center of the plant. After saffron stigmas have been dried you can add them to a variety of rice, seafood, poultry, meat and vegetable dishes.