How to care for cyclamen: the colourful winter bloom for the house and the garden

Close up of cyclamen coum, T B Graham

Clive Nichols

During the bleakest months, we treasure the flowers that inject colour, and cyclamen are some of the most reliable. Year after year, they produce swathes of pink and white that light up the barren garden. The name comes from the Ancient Greek for circle (kýklos) because the tubers are rounded, like tiny turnips. The Romans believed that cyclamen are lucky because the corms look like truffles, and they grew them for protection, good fortune, and wealth.

The easiest and the most widely grown outdoor forms are autumn-flowering Cyclamen hederifolium and winter-flowering C. coum. For cheer from the end of summer to the beginning of spring, these two stalwarts are all you need, but they are not the only cyclamen available. There are 24 species, most of which hail from the Mediterranean basin; they include woodlanders and alpine plants, some are scented, and they bloom at different times, so it is possible to have cyclamen flowering in the garden all year.

For delicious scent and bright colour indoors, Persian cyclamen (C. persicum) are superb winter-flowering houseplants or, in mild areas, can be enjoyed in pots by the front door to welcome guests at Christmas.

As the leaves drop from the trees, the landscape at Killerton becomes increasingly dramatic. Pink cyclamen bloom in late winter, creating a beautiful bright carpet of flowers that stand out against the washed-out landscape. Take a walk around the grounds and marvel at the gothic chapels in their winter splendour.

National Trust/ Emma Wakeham

Cyclamen is perennial, and sits dormant during the summer months. They won't need water during this time and can be left outside in the shade. It will re-grow in autumn: start watering it again and position it away from direct sunlight.

Most cyclamen feed bumblebees, which are drawn to the darker ‘nose’ of the lantern-shaped flowers, where the nectar is. C. coum is particularly important, as it is a nectar source in the depths of winter when buff-tailed bumblebees are increasingly seen foraging as a result of climate change.

Ants love cyclamen, and they are your best friends if you want to create carpets of flowers. By moving the seed, but only eating its shell, ants spread the plants over a wide area, so that in time, you will have a sea of pink flowers to brighten the grey winter days.

Ashwood Nurseries; close-up of cyclamen coum, Lake Effect

Clive Nichols

Cyclamen coum is a joy from January to March, when it throws up small pink flowers. The attractive kidney-shaped leaves can be grey or green or both, but these are absent during the summer months. C. coum subsp. coum f. albissimum has white flowers; ‘Porcelain’ bears ivory flowers with purple veining; and the Pewter Group produces wonderful silvery leaves. They can be planted now, in autumn. C. coum needs damper summer conditions than C. hederifolium, although it will grow happily in gravel. It is also relatively tolerant of wet and clay soils, compared to other species.

Cyclamen repandum carries elegant carmine-pink flowers from March into May. It is a woodland species that grows well in the West Country, as it requires moisture in summer, but it can be tricky in other parts of the UK. In the wild, it lives near (but not in) water, so provide it with a very generous layer of humus in order to boost water retention as well as drainage. The shelter of trees or shrubs is also vital, as it loathes wind.

Cyclamen purpurascens can be tricky to grow if the conditions aren’t perfect, but it is well worth a go, since its pink or purple flowers produce an incredible violet scent that hangs in the air from July into September. Its preferred spot has moist, well-drained soil during spring and summer and is not exposed to the sun all day, since it does not appreciate too much warmth; plant it amongst rhododendrons or other shrubs and it might decide to like you.

Cyclamen hederifolium

SABINA RÜBER

Cyclamen hederifolium produces lantern-like pink flowers from late summer to late autumn. The species name stems from Hedera (ivy) because the beautifully marbled leaves, which follow the flowers, sometimes have an ivy shape. C. hederifolium var. hederifolium f. albiflorum has white blooms, and 'Ruby Glow’ is deep raspberry. Of all the common garden forms, C. hederifolium is the most tolerant of extreme conditions, including poor, dry soil and wet clay soil, but it is also a thug when mixed with other forms and should therefore be grown on its own.

The common garden forms hail from open deciduous woodland areas with excellent drainage, so planting under deciduous trees or shrubs is ideal. The site must be sheltered, in semi-shade or shade, with humus-rich well-drained soil. Plant the tubers of most outdoor species 2 to 3 centimetres deep, with the roots pointing down; Cyclamen repandum, however, should be 5 centimetres deep in mild areas and 15 centimetres deep in cold regions.

Cyclamen hederifolium make lovely displays in small terracotta pots

Sabina Rüber

Cyclamen do well in pots if they have good drainage, so ensure the container has a drainage hole, sit pieces of broken pot in the base, and mix the compost (such as John Innes No 2) with a generous amount of grit.

• When to plant: It is best to buy cyclamen growing in pots, rather than bare tubers, and this means they can be planted at any time, if the ground isn't frozen. Cyclamen hederifolium and C. coum are widely available, but C. purpurascens and C. repandum are harder to find; specialist plant fairs and shows are a good place to seek them out. The other option is to grow them from seed. This is relatively easy if you know how, but they will take a few years to flower well.
• Shield: Most cyclamen dislike an excess of summer moisture or drought, loathe being waterlogged in winter, and don’t fare well in exposed locations, so find a well-drained site out of the wind, in semi-shade or shade. A woodland garden, the edge of a shrubbery, or a sheltered bank is perfect.
• Mulch: Enjoying humus-rich soil, cyclamen thrive in woodland gardens or benefit from an annual mulch of leafmould.
• Mark: With the exception of a few species (including C. purpurascens), cyclamen don’t hold their leaves all year, so mark where they are in the ground to avoid skewering them with a fork when they are invisible during the dormant months.
• Revive: In the right conditions, cyclamen live for a long time, especially C. hederifolium,which can form tubers the size of dinner plates that can be 50 years old or more. Cyclamen bought at the garden centre will be around 3 years old, and they will flower well until about 8 years old. After that, they can be revived by adding mycorrhizal fungi to the soil.
• Repot: Cyclamen resent being repotted, but if it’s necessary, it’s best to do it during their dormant season when they don’t have leaves.

Pink potted cyclamen

Anna Blazhuk

Producing a mass of sweet-scented flowers during winter, the widely available hybrids of Cyclamen persicum (Persian cyclamen or florists’ cyclamen) are great pot plants to decorate the house at Christmas. The plants are much bigger and bushier than the outdoor cyclamen species; the blooms can be white, purple, pink, or red and are produced from autumn to spring.

In mild areas, they make lovely winter bedding plants for pots by the front door. However, they are too tender to be outside in most parts of the UK. Despite this, C. persicum dislikes an excess of warmth and sun. Therefore, sit them in a cool spot, in bright or medium indirect light, well away from radiators.

If your Persian cyclamen isn’t flowering well, it’s usually because it’s too hot or too cold. A bright north or east-facing windowsill or porch is often ideal. Moderate humidity and gentle airflow is also appreciated.

Wait until the compost feels slightly dry before watering. Water from the base to avoid the leaves getting wet, then let the water drain away before sitting the plant back in its tray or outer pot.

During the dormant summer months, your Persian cyclamen won’t need water and can be sat outside in a dry, shaded position. Don’t worry if it looks dead – it is a tuberous perennial and will re-grow in autumn, when you should sit it back in bright, indirect sun and start watering again.