Crocus sativusSaffron Crocus

Cultivated for its scarlet stigmas for several thousand years, Crocus sativus is a small autumn-flowering corm of only 0.1 to 0.3 metres. Narrow grass-like leaves follow lilac-purple flowers that open before the foliage is fully grown.

In landscape use it is a seasonal drift plant for raised beds, gravel gardens and heritage or productive planting schemes rather than a permanent ground layer.

Specifications

• Height0.1 to 0.3 metres
• Width0.05 to 0.1 metres per corm, planted in drifts
• Native toA long-cultivated selection with no wild population, derived from Crocus cartwrightianus of the eastern Mediterranean
• FoliageNarrow grass-like leaves with a pale central stripe; dormant through summer
• Growth rateModerate

Conditions

• SoilRequires sharply drained gritty or sandy soil that dries out in summer
• LightFull sun
• WaterLow; a dry summer dormancy is essential
• ClimateThrives in Mediterranean and continental climates with hot dry summers and cool wet winters

Additional Features

• FlowersLilac-purple autumn flowers with prominent scarlet stigmas
• UsesIdeal for seasonal drifts in raised beds, gravel gardens, containers and productive planting
• SpacingPlant 0.1 metres apart and 0.1 metres deep in generous drifts
• Low MaintenanceLift and divide congested corms every few years; otherwise leave undisturbed
• Pest ResistanceGenerally sound, though rodents will take corms in some regions
• Drought ToleranceRequires a dry summer rest and will rot under summer irrigation
• Cultural SignificanceThe source of saffron, hand-harvested from the stigmas of each flower

The Saffron Crocus is a specialist seasonal plant, valued for its autumn flower and its long agricultural history rather than for year-round cover.