Flowers range in color from pale to deep rosy-purple with orange-yellow anthers on this species native to an area encompassing northern Turkey, Iran, and the Caucasus region. Another characteristic of the species is its hairless leaves (produced in spring).

Plant in full sun and moist but well-drained soils, and divide when the clumps of corms have become so congested they start to push up to the surface of the soil. Interplant corms with companion plants that begin growth late in the season to accommodate the luxuriant spring foliage that provides a backdrop for the flowers in fall. Examples include cultivars of Heuchera, Phlox paniculata, Hylotelephium spectabile, Sedum spurium, Festuca ovina glauca, Phlox subulata, and Thymus vulgaris.

All parts of the plant are toxic and should not be ingested. The toxins interfere with normal cell growth.

The genus name pays homage to the ancient kingdom of Colchis at the eastern end of the Black Sea, now the modern nation of Georgia, home to very ornamental Colchicum species.