The dried stigma of the purple flower Saffron Crocus sativus is the most expensive spice in the world. The fragile flowers need to be handpicked in the autumn as soon as they are fully open. It requires anywhere from 50,000 to 75,000 flowers to produce a single pound of saffron.
One pound of high quality Saffron can retail for as much as five thousand dollars making it far more valuable than gold.
Interested in growing and harvesting your own saffron? You will need approximately six plants for one recipe.
Garden Trivia 