About Snow Crocuses
Crocus come in 80 different species and a wide variety of colors, including several species with bicolor petals. Snow crocuses are one of the first flowers you will see after the last snow of the year here in Ohio (or sometimes even earlier). These small flowers are each only two to four inches tall, but they offer a beautiful addition to spring lawns and gardens. Blooms will only open when the weather is sunny and bright, and flowers will close back up at night or during rain.
Saffron, a highly prized and extremely expensive ingredient in dyes and spices, is made from the crushed stigma of a closely related species of crocus (C. sativus). It takes 75,000 crocus blossoms to produce one pound of saffron.
Snow Crocus at the Akron Zoo
In the early spring, you can find snow crocuses sprouting throughout the zoo, including in front of our Welcome Center and in Carousel Plaza.