Saffron
PH
PureHealthness Editorial Team · Health writers & reviewers
📝 Last reviewed: August 2026
✔ Transparent sourcing · Some articles are AI-drafted, then reviewed & fact-checked by our team
📝 Last reviewed: August 2026
Saffron is harvested by hand from purple crocus flowers — 150,000 flowers yield just one kilogram of the precious red threads. It colours and perfumes rice dishes like paella and biryani.
🔬 Plant facts
| Scientific name | Crocus sativus |
|---|---|
| Type | Flowering bulb |
| Family | Iridaceae |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Water | Dry summers |
| Height | 10–30 cm |
| Flower | Purple flowers with red stigmas |
| Uses | The world's most expensive spice |
| Growth | Plant bulbs in autumn |
| Best season | Autumn harvest |
💊 Saffron in the medicine industry
Saffron's stigmas contain crocin, studied for mood support, memory and eye health; saffron is used in traditional medicine as an antidepressant and digestive aid, and modern supplements standardise its active compounds.
🌱 Growing & care tips
Saffron crocuses need full sun, dry summers and well-drained soil; plant bulbs in autumn and hand-pick the red stigmas on the morning the flowers open.
🍽️ How to use it
Saffron threads flavour and colour biryani, paella, risotto and sweets; a pinch is soaked in warm water or milk before adding; it is also brewed as tea.
💡 Did you know? Saffron is the world's most expensive spice — 150,000 crocus flowers produce one kilogram, and each flower yields just three precious red threads.
⚠️ Saffron safety note: Saffron is safe in cooking amounts, but large amounts (over 5 g) are toxic — never take saffron supplements in high doses; avoid in pregnancy beyond food amounts.
⚠️ Important: Herbal and plant remedies can interact with medicines. Always ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any plant product for health purposes — especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking prescription drugs.
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