Saffron comes from Crocus sativus, the saffron crocus. Each flower produces just three red stigmas, all picked by hand in autumn. After harvesting, the threads are gently dried, concentrating their colour, aroma, and flavour. #saffron #crocus #harvest #spices #nature | Portnoo Market Garden

Saffron is a fascinating plant - in the crocus genus, it grows from little corms that throw out long green spindly leaves and low blooming flowers that produce three orange-red stigmas. These three stigmas ARE what we know as saffron in a spice jar. Even wilder, there is no known example of Crocus sativus in the wild - it appears to be a mutation from a predecessor that is now entirely propagated through human cultivation! | All About Gardening