Thinking of growing your own saffron? 👀 Farmers in the US have been growing saffron crocus since the 1600s, when the Pennsylvania Dutch first brought over these little bulbs. Grown from corms (not seeds), the plant is easy to grow in raised beds or containers. But the real work? Harvesting those tiny red threads in the center—that’s the saffron, and it’s worth more than gold (literally). Saffron is pricey not because it’s hard to grow, but because picking and drying the spice is super labor-intensive. Each flower produces just three bright red stigmas, which need to be harvested fast and by hand. You’ll want to harvest in the morning on a dry day, about 6–8 weeks after planting. Wait until the bloom is partially open, snip the flower at the base (leave the leaves), then gently pull out the stigmas by hand or with tweezers. Small flower. Big flex.