No flower can surpass them in resistance to cold temperatures and harsh winds. Crocuses, which symbolize life under severe conditions, seem to have been created expressly to brighten up the environment with their vibrant colours.

Crocuses, which are among the few plant species that bloom in winter, spring up in autumn in the form of colonies on hills and plains. Yellow, purple, pink, white and blue, they appear before us in a rainbow of hues and tones, colouring the bare earth where the snow has just begun to melt. We encounter them too in autumn when the long days of summer are over. These crocuses, usually purplish pink in colour and known as ‘autumn crocuses’, remind us that winter is slowly coming in. The seeds and bulbs of autumn crocuses, which grow some 10-30 cm tall, contain various alkaloids, including mainly colchis, and are therefore extremely poisonous. Colchis meanwhile is used to treat rheumatism and gout as well as being employed in cell and genetic research.