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Safron is the stigma from a Crocus flower, and as the flowers are inherantly sterile [the selective breeding has made them so] they need to be individualy pollonated. They only grow if planted in highly organic rich well drained clay soils and need a very sunny well watered, south facing slopes to be successful.
Basically the English weather isnt up to the task.
The expense comes from the extraordinary labor involved in harvesting and preparing it for storage. Also adding to the expense is the fact that 80,000 flowers are needed to obtain one pound of Saffron.
Selective breeding in the past has produced a longer stigma[female part] and as a result has broken the reproductive system of the flower, the stamen[m] is now shorter than the stigma[f] and pollen doesn't naturaly fall onto the stigma whether by wind action or pollonating instects. Each flower has to be hand pollonated by using a small paintbrush or some similar device.
The Bud has spoken.
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