When to Plant Saffron in Iowa
Iowa spans USDA hardiness 4b to 6a (zones 4b to 6a on this page). Plant saffron by your local frost date, not the calendar — pick your zone below for exact start-indoors, transplant, and harvest dates.
Jump to: Zone 4b · Zone 5a · Zone 5b · Zone 6a
Saffron planting calendar for Iowa, Zone 4b
Average last spring frost
May 10
Average first fall frost
September 25
Direct sow
Dec 7
Projected first harvest
Jan 26
Saffron is ready to harvest in about 50 days. Full zone 4 guide (both 4a and 4b) →
Saffron planting calendar for Iowa, Zone 5a
Average last spring frost
May 5
Average first fall frost
October 1
Direct sow
Dec 2
Projected first harvest
Jan 21
Saffron is ready to harvest in about 50 days. Full zone 5 guide (both 5a and 5b) →
Saffron planting calendar for Iowa, Zone 5b
Average last spring frost
April 30
Average first fall frost
October 5
Direct sow
Nov 27
Projected first harvest
Jan 16
Saffron is ready to harvest in about 50 days. Full zone 5 guide (both 5a and 5b) →
Saffron planting calendar for Iowa, Zone 6a
Average last spring frost
April 25
Average first fall frost
October 10
Direct sow
Nov 22
Projected first harvest
Jan 11
Saffron is ready to harvest in about 50 days. Full zone 6 guide (both 6a and 6b) →
Not sure which half-zone you're in? Set your ZIP in HomeSown for dates tuned to your exact location.
Varieties to grow
1 variety of saffron in the HomeSown library. Tap any for its full grow guide.
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