Cyclamania

Tis the season for Cyclamen, and I don’t mean those blousy, cabbagy, foil wrapped florist Clyclamen available at your local supermarket, although, they have their place ( they are hybrids of Cyclamen persicum, and the pure species form is very lovely if you can find it), but what I am blogging about here are the other species of Cyclamen, which are just beginning to emerge from a long summer dormancy world-wide, blooming in cold greenhouses, woodland gardens and on windowsills in the cold, autumn air.

Botanists have described 20 species of Cyclamen, and at first glance, they may all look very similar but with a little knowledge, one can see very distinct differences, mainly the foliage size and pattern, but also flower size and definition, as well as blooming time. The season begins in late August, where woodlands in the UK and in the wilds of Turkey, Greece and the Middle East, cylcamen emerge bringing the un-expected color of PINK to autumn. The fact is, pink is indeed a fall color, since nature has designed Cyclamen to bloom within blankets of brown autumn leaves on the forest floor.

Cyclamen mirabile

In greenhouse, the season starts in September with the blooming of the more tender Cyclamen, C. africanum, followed by the fussier Cyclamen graecum. Even though Cyclamen hederifolium is hardy here in New England, I have yet to try it although I am assured that it will live, especially in those conditions which is loves, mainly under deciduous trees, where the bulbs, which sit on the surface of the soil, can go dry during their summer dormancy. Cyclamen coum is also supposed to be hardy here, but I prefer to keep this tiny gem in pots in the greenhouse, where it can self seed everywhere. I now have many Cyclamen species coming up everywhere in pots. At one time, I thought Cyclamen where challenging to grow, especially from seed. But the solution was easy – get fresh seed, which may sound easier than it is – seed available in seed catalogs and seed exchanges is already dried out. Once dry, Cyclamen seed is difficult to get germinated. But my own fresh seed ( by fresh-I mean hours old) is potted as soon as the seed capsules are ripe in June, and the pots are left unwatered until September, but apparently there is enough moisture in the soil to keep the seeds alive.

Cyclamen cyprium

Alpine plant catalogs frequently carry some Cyclamen species, and I encourage any of you living in Zones 5 and up, to try some of these out doors, or certainly in your cold greenhouse. Having plants that start growing and blooming in the autumn and continue through the winter, makes this season as exciting as Spring all over again.

Cyclamen hederifolium ssp. alba

Cyclamen rohlfsianum

Cyclamen species in my sand bed, with a gas can!

Cyclamen graecum

Cyclamen hederifolium alba