Crocuses are low-growing flowers related to irises. They get their name from the Latin word for saffron. Cultivated
worldwide, the flowers are native to Asia and southern Europe, where the dried stigma is still exported as saffron, a
brilliant yellow spice and, less often, the base of an equally colorful dye. Crocuses grow in a wide variety of colors,
including purple, blue, yellow, and white. Pictured is Crocus etruscus.
