There is no record of the plant ever growing wild here and the origin of its cultivation is not known. The plant, of the iris family, flowers in the autumn. It was grown for the stigmas of the flowers which are a deep orange colour and which, when dried, were used as a dye, medicament and flavouring.
English Saffron provide Saffron crocus bulbs for the Kitchen Garden of Bridge End Garden, which can be seen in bloom each autumn. We here at the Tourist Information Centre sell English Saffron in 2 gram tins.