Climatch
For growers

Where can I grow saffron?

Crocus sativus · Herb · Perennial

Saffron is a great fit (80+) on 17.7 million km² (6.8 million sq mi) of land in 70 countries, 17% of it only with irrigation. The most well-suited land is in Texas, United States, California, United States and Shandong, China. Where it can't grow, it's usually winters too mild (49%) and winters get too cold (36%).

Crop fit≤5075100Uncolored land: won't grow

Tap the map for the score at any spot. Each square is a 28 km (17 mile) grid cell.

Great fit (80+)
17.7M km²(6.8M sq mi)
12% of land
Worth a try (50–79)
10.9M km²(4.2M sq mi)
8% of land
Great fit without irrigation
14.1M km²(5.4M sq mi)
Rain alone is enough
Countries
70
With great-fit land

Regions with the most suitable land

  1. 1

    🇺🇸Texas, United States

    Great fit on 278k km² (108k sq mi) · worth a try on 157k km² (60k sq mi)

    For example Lubbock (100), Plainview (100)

  2. 2

    🇺🇸California, United States

    Great fit on 223k km² (86k sq mi) · worth a try on 44k km² (17k sq mi)

    For example Sacramento (100), Stockton (100)

  3. 3

    🇨🇳Shandong, China

    Great fit on 172k km² (66k sq mi) · worth a try on 8,000 km² (3,100 sq mi)

    For example Jinan (100), Heze (100)

  4. 4

    🇺🇸New Mexico, United States

    Great fit on 153k km² (59k sq mi) · worth a try on 5,700 km² (2,200 sq mi)

    For example Roswell (100), Clovis (100)

  5. 5

    🇦🇷Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Great fit on 141k km² (55k sq mi) · worth a try on 163k km² (63k sq mi)

    For example Carmen de Patagones (100), Bahía Blanca (86)

  6. 6

    🇦🇷Cordoba, Argentina

    Great fit on 136k km² (53k sq mi) · worth a try on 3,900 km² (1,500 sq mi)

    For example Villa Carlos Paz (100), Alta Gracia (100)

  7. 7

    🇨🇳Yunnan, China

    Great fit on 136k km² (52k sq mi) · worth a try on 59k km² (23k sq mi)

    For example Xiangcheng (98), Yunnanyi (98)

  8. 8

    🇨🇳Henan, China

    Great fit on 131k km² (50k sq mi) · worth a try on 20k km² (7,700 sq mi)

    For example Kaifeng (100), Luoyang (100)

  9. 9

    🇦🇺Victoria, Australia

    Great fit on 129k km² (50k sq mi) · worth a try on 34k km² (13k sq mi)

    For example Bendigo (100), Wodonga (100)

  10. 10

    🇲🇽Chihuahua, Mexico

    Great fit on 121k km² (47k sq mi)

    For example Cuauhtémoc (100), Nuevo Casas Grandes (100)

  11. 11

    🇿🇦Eastern Cape, South Africa

    Great fit on 121k km² (47k sq mi) · worth a try on 26k km² (10k sq mi)

    For example Aliwal North (100), Cradock (100)

  12. 12

    🇦🇺New South Wales, Australia

    Great fit on 120k km² (47k sq mi) · worth a try on 57k km² (22k sq mi)

    For example Tamworth (100), Griffith (100)

  13. 13

    🇿🇦Western Cape, South Africa

    Great fit on 107k km² (41k sq mi) · worth a try on 16k km² (6,000 sq mi)

    For example Ceres (96), Caledon (94)

  14. 14

    🇪🇸Andalusia, Spain

    Great fit on 103k km² (40k sq mi)

    For example Granada (100), Mijas (100)

  15. 15

    🇵🇰Balochistan, Pakistan

    Great fit on 103k km² (40k sq mi) · worth a try on 23k km² (8,900 sq mi)

    For example Kalat (100), Loralai (99)

Regions are states and provinces, counting land within 75 km of a town. At most three per country, so the list covers the world.

By country

  • 🇺🇸United States1.2M km² (462k sq mi) · 22% of its land
  • 🇮🇷Iran886k km² (342k sq mi) · 63% of its land
  • 🇨🇳China845k km² (326k sq mi) · 15% of its land
  • 🇦🇷Argentina795k km² (307k sq mi) · 51% of its land
  • 🇹🇷Turkey652k km² (252k sq mi) · 77% of its land
  • 🇿🇦South Africa648k km² (250k sq mi) · 76% of its land
  • 🇪🇸Spain465k km² (179k sq mi) · 82% of its land
  • 🇲🇽Mexico410k km² (158k sq mi) · 25% of its land
  • 🇦🇺Australia392k km² (152k sq mi) · 49% of its land
  • 🇲🇦Morocco311k km² (120k sq mi) · 75% of its land

Best-suited towns

  1. 100%fit

    Zanjan

    🇮🇷 Iran

  2. 100%fit

    Valladolid

    🇪🇸 Castille and León, Spain

  3. 100%fit

    Makhachkala

    🇷🇺 Dagestan, Russia

  4. 100%fit

    Aksaray

    🇹🇷 Turkey

  5. 100%fit

    Constanţa

    🇷🇴 Constanța County, Romania

  6. 100%fit

    Madrid

    🇪🇸 Spain

  7. 100%fit

    Zaragoza

    🇪🇸 Aragon, Spain

  8. 100%fit

    Sevastopol

    🇺🇦 Sevastopol City, Ukraine

  9. 100%fit

    Tbilisi

    🇬🇪 Georgia

  10. 100%fit

    Bloemfontein

    🇿🇦 Free State, South Africa

  11. 100%fit

    Amman

    🇯🇴 Jordan

  12. 100%fit

    Konya

    🇹🇷 Turkey

The most comfortable fits among the 2,000 biggest towns, two per region.

What saffron needs

Coldest night of the year (average)
Ideal at least 1°F (-17°C)Won't grow below -9°F (-23°C)
Coldest-month average
Ideal 30–50°F (-1 to 10°C)Won't grow below 21°F (-6°C) or above 59°F (15°C)
Warmest-month average
Ideal 68–82°F (20–28°C)Won't grow below 63°F (17°C) or above 91°F (33°C)
Dry-season length
Ideal at least 2 monthsLowers yield outside the ideal, never rules it out
Yearly rain
Ideal 9.8–28 in (250–700 mm)Won't grow below 5.9 in (150 mm) or above 47 in (1,200 mm)

Corms rest through a hot, dry summer and flower in autumn. Wet summers rot them.

Sources: Gresta et al. 2008, Saffron, an alternative crop for sustainable agricultural systems (Agronomy for Sustainable Development); Kafi et al. 2006, Saffron (Crocus sativus): Production and Processing. Ranges not yet reviewed by an agronomist.

What stops it elsewhere

  • Winters too mild49%
  • Winters get too cold36%
  • Summers too cool5%
  • Too wet4%
  • Summers too hot3%

Share of the land scoring under 50, by what holds it back most.

How this map works

Every 28 km square of land is scored 0–100 against the requirements above, using 1991–2020 monthly climate averages with frost, chill and heat estimated by simulating daily weather. Each square is scored with whichever variety fits it best. “With irrigation” ignores rain shortfalls; “Rain-fed only” counts them.

Climate is only part of it: soil, slope, water and markets decide where a crop is actually farmed. Use this to shortlist places, then check them locally.

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