Crocus sativus

I'm interested in growing saffron crocus (C. sativus) but am leery of confusing it with the more common and poisonous C. colchicum. From my reading, it looks simple - the saffron crocus have 3 stigmas and the others have 6 or more. I have a bunch of autumn crocus growing here and there and will check them when they bloom. I'm fairly certain they will be the poisonous ones and have no qualms about ripping them all out (perhaps transplant to my outer reaches) to make room for ones I can get some use of. Anyone grown and/or harvested saffron?

I have. There's really no confusing them with the colchicum. The sativus need some coddling, though, and they die out after a couple of years. Monetarily, if you have the room for lots, and plan to replace every few years, it's still worth it.

Ditto, summerkid. No confusing them at all. Thanks for posting that the sativus needs coddling. Mine are dying out and I was thinking they were being eaten by voles or something. Still possible, but maybe just the natural life cycle.

I planted colchium and have kind of regretted it. They multiply really fast but the flowers just flop around. Nice foliage, but just too much for me.

No pix, it's not, it's THEM. Did you harvest any meaningful amount of saffron?

I want to grow some as well Bonehead. I'm hoping to have a nice container of them on the deck where they are protected from landscapers and excessive rain.

I did plant some in a planter as a gift for my sister. She said they did not come back this year, but I don't think she took care of them in any way, no extra protection or special attention at any time.

I tried saffron crocus some years ago, on a protected east facing slope by the lake (just north of Seattle). This was a spot that, because of the lake, was slow to warm up in the spring, stayed warm in the fall, and a few degrees warmer in the winter. Brent and Becky warned me they were not hardy here, and they were right- very nice the first (mild) year, then did not come back after an average winter.

Huh? They were hardy for me in Chicago, though they they died out after a few years. I read somewhere that they "poison" the soil they're in & need to be moved occasionally.

I am technically zone 8, but maybe they drowned in our mild wet winter even though they were on a slope? Maybe eaten? I do not know why they died. Other bulbs that are listed as more hardy love it here. Cedarhome is near me. They aren't too expensive, so might be worth a try.

I've lots, and they're thriving. No confusion danger at all. But the only ones that bloomed were the ones with the most Sun. Another row within a few feet but oriented in another direction came up with not-as-dense foliage (which is lovely, all wavy and pom-pommy), and no blooms. A third row with much less Sun didn't bloom at all, and had less robust foliage yet. In the Sunniest row, out of four feet of closely-spaced plants, I got maybe a couple of dozen threads. The flowers don't last long (at least, not after they're de-stimatized; they're sterile, so nobody's being deprived of excitement) - but then, Spring Crocus blooms are short-lived too. Do you remember *how* they "poison" the soil, Summerkid? I read that 90% of the world's Saffron comes from Iran, so anybody who wants to continue to use Saffron might need to plant some! I also read that a corm lasts only one year, but leaves behind a dozen or so little corms that make a new plant. I haven't dug mine to see; the Sunny ones are in their first year, and the shady ones in their second. I think I got a few flowers off the shady ones in their first year. Once the foliage dies back, I'll dig them to see what's happening, and if I find anything there, I'll move them into the Sun.