Crocus sativus: Saffron Crocus Grow your own saffron to use in cooking! We rarely think of bulbs as edible, but this showy fall-blooming Crocus is the source of saffron, the quintessential seasoning for paella and other dishes from the Mediterranean and Asia. Each lilac-purple flower produces three red stigmas, which have been used for flavoring and coloring food since Roman times. For instructions on harvesting saffron, click here. We ship our crocus sativus bulbs from September - December. The bulbs must be planted right away so they may go about the business of rooting and preparing to flower, a process that generally takes 4-6 weeks.