Holiday Cooking – Saffron

Thanksgiving is behind us, and a wonderful memory of family gatherings; delicious dinners and pie; and time off to sleep in, enjoy a fall outing, and do a little online shopping. Christmas is comfortably ahead of us, with plenty of time to shop, assemble Christmas boxes, and dream about all the good things to cook and eat. As in past years, we're turning to Jan-Öjvind Swahn and The Lore of Spices to learn about the plants that season our holiday meals.

This year I'm delving into spices from other cuisines that have worked their way into our holiday meals. The first one is saffron, used to flavor Spanish dishes, such as paella, southern French bouillabaisse, risotto, and couscous. Crocus sativus is in the Crocus genus of the Iridaceae family. The stamen and filament are the flavoring agents, and are harvested by hand (explaining its very high price).

Botanical illustration of Crocus sativus

from Koehler's Medicinal Plants

(published before 1923 and public domain in the United States)

According to Swahn, the origin of saffron crocus is unknown, but it was most likely on the steppes between the Aegean Sea and Turkey (it is no longer found in the wild, only in cultivation). A Chinese medical book from 2600 BC contains the oldest reference to saffron for its ability to give strength and stamina in love. An Egyptian medical text from 1500 BC refers to crocus growing in the palace gardens at Luxor. Writings found in Mesopotamia refer to saffron as a cooking ingredient. Saffron has also been used to dye fabric, freshen the air, and combat alcohol poisoning.

Crocus is a corm with a tunic of parallel fibers attached at the crown. Leaves grow as multiple spathes around the base. Flowers are large and fragrant perianth segments in various colors, spreading 1.5 to 2 inches long, and typically blooming in autumn. Anthers are white, and styles are yellow to bright red, drooping over the anthers and perianth segments. The dried stigmas of C. sativus are harvested by hand during a two-week period, and dried for use.

Plant Propagation – Dividing

A couple of months ago we changed our “Birds and Bees” series from sexual reproduction to asexual reproduction (see Plant Propagation– Cuttings, and Plant Propagation – Runners). We learned that asexual reproduction results in an offspring that is a genetic clone of its parent. Some plants produce offsets in the form of a new plant or bulbs.

Gardeners can benefit from these plant habits, by dividing a clump or digging up the bulbs, and replanting. Here are a couple of division projects I worked on this summer, using Jack Kraemer’s Grow Your Own Plants as my inspiration and guide.

Agapanthus spp. (Agapanthus)

I love Agapanthus. Our home came with a good collection of blue and white Agapanthus, and I have encouraged their growth all over the property. Some decry them as being common, and non-native. But I find them amazing and indestructible – thriving in both drought and monsoon.

Agapanthus originated in Southern Africa. They are monocots, and grow in clumps, sometimes even above soil. Periodically I dig up the clumps, and divide them by teasing apart their fleshy roots. They transplant easily to other garden beds, or to containers.

Agapanthus transplants

Agapanthus offsets ready to pull apart

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Crocosmia spp. (Crocosmia)

Our friends, Keith and Beth (both avid gardeners working their steep, terraced backyard) gave us some Crocosmia corms soon after we moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. Beth warned me that the plants are a bit invasive, so I planted them in a large container. Here in the Bay Area, the plants grow, flower, and die back twice a year. They bring a dash of orange color to the back patio when in bloom, and the long, strappy leaves catch the light in a beautiful way.

Crocosmia is native to the grasslands of Southern and Eastern Africa, from South Africa to Sudan. They are monocots, and grow from underground corms (often in chains, with the youngest corm on top and the oldest buried in the soil). The leaves have parallel veins, characteristic of monocots. Periodically I dig up the corms, thinning them out to give the remainder a little more room.

Crocosmia in a container

Crocosmia corms (and seeds)

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This brings our Plant Propagation series to an end for the year. We have barely scratched the surface of the topic, so look for more articles and projects in the future. In the meantime, I encourage you to look for ways to propagate your favorite plants. Redistribute the clones in your own garden, swap them with friends for genetic diversity, or give them away as gifts. You’ll save some money, spread some cheer, and participate in fun and practical science at the same time!