As we enter the winter months, one question I get asked often is how to care for potted cyclamen. Cyclamen are a popular florist plant, especially around the winter holidays; they are sold in pots at stores and shops beginning as early as September, peaking around the New Year. While they are generally thought of as a winter blooming gift plant or in warmer climates like California, as a winter outdoor bedding or container plant.
Above: Cyclamen graecum ssp. candicum, a tender species native to Greece with a dwarf habit, and one that must be kept underclass.
I like to separate Cyclamen into two groups. One: The gift and bedding plant group – which icludes all of the fancy types we find at garden centers and as potted plants, and Two: The collector or enthusiast group – comprised mostly of species, the wild species and various named selections of those species. There exists a collector base among plant enthusiasts who collect and grow a number or all of the 24 species, both under glass in cool greenhouses as well as outdoors in their gardens. These are generally the more serious plant people who know what they are doing, and belong to any or all of the specialty plant societies like NARGS (the North American Rock Garden Society, the AGS (Alpine Garden Society) or the Cyclamen Society. You know who you are.
There is much more to Cyclamen than you might think. First, there are 24 species, but only one of the species is grown commercially as a flowering potted plant, and that is Cyclamen persicum. I should add that also, that is a bit misleading, and most of the hybrids sold at florist shops and garden centers are crosses and hybrids known as interspecific crosses (different species were crossed to create the super-fancy flowers and colorful foliage). In a way, most are labradoodles.
Above- My sand plunge bed in late September with multiple wild species of cyclamen blooming before their foliage emerges.
This post will focus more on the florist cyclamen, how to grow it, how to not kill it quickly, and some myth busting, cultural guidelines and tips.
The Cyclamen (specifically selections of C. persicum, which I will simply refer to as Cyclamen for the purposes of this post) was first introduced into Western Europe in the 16th century, but the exact year is unknown but one source lists it as being imported from Turkey and grown in Queen Elizabeth’s garden as early as 1605. The nursery Morin listed two color forms in 1630, and by 1700, catalogs in Paris and London listed a number of species and colors.
It wasnt until the 19th century until C. persicum moved from being a collectors plant, (known as the Persian Cyclamen) to becoming a cultivated plant. This aligns with the advent of the glass greenhouse. Its popularity was slow, as the plant was challenging to propagate. Early growers attempted to divide the tuber (always a risky operation due to decay and slow growth and loss) and seeds, which often were too few, and slow to germinate. Even by the end of the 19th century, it could take up to 2 years to get a seed raised plant to flower. This remained the case until the 20th century.
IN the meantime, some breeding work greatly improved the wild species. New forms were being selected beginning in the 1850, with new colors, larger flowers, smaller plants (dwarf) and some cross breeding with other wild species to achieve a broader color range. by 1890 some German breeders were introducing frilly petals, stripes and doubles. The larger forms (then known as groups like Giganteum, Robustum or Splendens) were emerging both from England and Germany which made the cyclamen very popular as a florist plant. These look little like any wild form (and were once known as mutations, but no record of true mutation exists, these were most likely through selection)- most modern cyclamen grown commercially today are from these strains.
Above: Cyclamen hederifolium ‘alba’ growing in a pot in my greenhouse. If kept dry until flower buds emerge in late summer or autumn, one can have a display like this. If I watered plants sooner, to break dormancy, foliage emerges and hides some blooms. This often happens when this species is grown outdoors. It is frost-hardy, to 14 degrees at least, even more if the tuber is planted deeper. It survived through zone 5 if there is a good, dry snow cover and no irregular temperature shifts in spring.
Through the early 20th century, American, French, and German breeders continued improving the plant – working to reduce stem length so that plants would not flop, have larger flowers, and bigger and smaller plants. In 1894 a breakthrough variety called ‘Salmon Queen’ (bred by Sutton and Sons in the UK) was a pivotal moment in developing an even broader range of hybrids. By the mid-century, fringed forms (Fimbriata-types) were introduced, followed by Dutch and German breedingat led to the modern cultivars that we know advancements th today. Today there are well over a few hundred cultivars of named cyclamen to choose from.
If you’ve struggled to keep a gift cyclamen plant alive indoors during the winter, you are not alone. After searching the internet, I came across so many myths and misinformation about caring or propagating cyclamen that I felt motivated to clear up much of the confusion and bad info here and now.
To topline care, Cyclamen prefer cooler temperature and humid air. If you live in the north where your home has central heat, keeping a plant alive through the holidays can be touch. Find a cool if not cold windowsill to keep them, and be sure that the pots never dry out (nor, allow plants to sit in water). Yellowing leaves are a sign of stress, and while you should expect a few, more the 3 means that something went wrong. Remove the foil or plastic wrap on the pot, and water the pots well (until the water runs out of the bottom) and then set the pot on the sink to drain, and later keep it on a plate.
Above: A Cyclamen graecum emerging from its summer dormancy under glass. Most species are different than the florist hybrids, as they bloom before their foliage comes out in autumn. C. persicum blooms in late winter but the foliage emerges in the fall.
Choosing a good plant.
Choose a plant that has a lot of buds that are not open yet. A plant will not create more flower buds after you buy it, as it has a short bloom season (about 2 months). Manage your expectations, and time the display but choosing a plant that has just started blooming. The truth is, that for most of us, a cyclamen is throw-away display plant. Any expectations that you can keep a plant from year to year is unrealistic – even if you have a cool greenhouse as I do. The species are easier to keep from year to year, but the florist varieties are ones that I simply toss after they bloom. Most have be grown too agressivlely, treate with plant growth regulators (PGR hormones to keep them dense) or over fertilized to focus on flowers and not tuber or root permanence).
If you live in a zone with a mild climate (where it never dips below freezing) you can plant C. persicum hybrids as a temporary bedding plant. Popular in mass-planting at hotels and resorts, they are again best treated as a temporary display plants – as you might treat an ornamental kale, for example. If you want to keep it as a house plant, try to keep the plant as cool as possible, some folks set them outdoors on a patio if their home is too warm such as in Southern California. Know, however, that C. persicum is not frost hardy, and it will freeze.
Above: Seed is the preferred way to propagate all cyclamen. The seed capsules ripen in late spring, and one should keep an eye out for ants that will steal the seeds and plant them unless you can pick the pods earlier. Each seed has a sweet material on it to attract ants which naturally disperse the seeds after nibbling on the sweet stuff.
Search the internet and you will find some crazy myths that you should note. First, you cannot root a cutting from a leaf. You cannot start a new cyclamen from a leaf cutting. I dont know where this idea started, but if the blog post only has an illustration, or no photo of a leaf petiole with a root, there is a reason. This is completely made up, and fake news.
Commercial growers never propagate their cyclamen by division – and a tuber cannot form more tubers. The term ‘division’ is sometimes used for a method known as tuber splitting (similar to bulb scaling). Still, it’s an out-of-date method that is difficult to master, as cutting a tuber into quadrants will require sterile conditions and materials. Not to mention that it will take 3-4 years before one will get a blooming-sized plant. Some species, however, eventually form huge tubers that are irregularly shaped, and sometimes, a section of a tuber that has a thin connection to the main tuber can be snapped off, but this still needs to be recommended and is unreliable. A portion of a tuber can often die while another portion takes over.
Most, if not all, cyclamen are seed-raised. Saving seed from a plant that was a florist plant is never a good idea (most won’t ever set seed as they are sterile), but you will still see posts on sites that say “It’s easy!). If you are lucky enough to have a fruit on a plant, the offspring will be inferior to the parent, as all are hybrids. Not to mention that it can take years for a seed raised plant to bloom. Commerical growers with hand-pollinated seed of hybrid varieties can however raise a plant in 14 months to flower. If you purchase seed from a reliable seed source, and if you have a greenhouse, you can do this. I find cyclamen, particularly the wild species and their selections very easy from seed, but again, in a greenhouse.
Above: Cyclamen prefer a porous, well-draining soil rich with some organic matter like leaf mold. I use a mixture of fine wood bark, large perlite, horticultural grit and some of my own South African bulb fast-drainging lean soil mix (mostly sand, peat-based ProMixBX, pumice and perlite). The soil is rather lean,but slightly acidic, but nutritionally, cyclamen prefer a lean, well-draining soil. I fertilize once or twice a winter once the plants are in full growth with a low nitrogen feed. Osmocote doesnt work well for the species as they grow at temperatures below 70° F. Water however should be acidic (I use rainwater).
Cyclamen have a dormant period – most prefering a dry, warm summer, and a wet cool autumn and winter. Though some varieties in planted outdoors in very cold climates, do best with a hot dry summer, a wet autumn, and a rather dry, cold winter (like under a tree).
Above: A dormant 20-year-old tuber of a Cyclamen graecum is being repotted in my greenhouse. I repot every 5 years as plants prefer to grow untouched. This occurs in July while the plants are dormant to avoid damaging roots. Take care not to damage the top or bottom of the tuber. Sometimes, you can see small, immature flower buds beginning to twist out of the top of the tuber, even in August.
Hardy cyclamen do exist, but if you live in the north, it depends on how much snow cover you get, and how wet your soil is. For example, in my Zone 6b garden outside of Boston I struggle keeping one of the hardiest cyclamen happy outdoors – C. hederifolium, while friends in Vermont have no problem. I suspect it’s our unpredictable snow cover, and wet periods in winter. Hardyness zones should be weighted with other factors like winter moisture and snow cover, as well as spring freezes. Most cyclamen like to go dry for the summer, so if you get summer rains and lots of humidity, that too can be challenging. Others, however, even in Zone 5 claim that C. hedrifolium is easy and self seeds.
In my cool greenhouse I grow 20 species of cyclamen with the greatest of ease, in fact, I’d say that they are rather carefree. Seedlings even germinate in the ground and in other pots as ants often get to them first, and move seeds around. In the greenhouse I allow plants to go dormant in spring, keeping them bone dry under glass in elevated sand plunge benches. I search for seed pods that are opening in May trying to get to them before the ants do (each has a sugary coating which makes the tempting to ants, who often distribute them due to this feature). I pick seeds once plant go dormant, and I sow the fresh seed into pots with dry soil right away in June, not watering them until September. just when the tubers are beginning to sprout new buds. Fresh seed is key however. If you buy seed from Etsy or questionable seller, you may experience slow or no germination.
All cyclamen species seem to share the same germination requirements, but flowering time with species is different. Most species bloom in autumn (most of mine do), with C. coum blooming in winter, and C. persicum in late winter. In my greenhouse the last flowers are on the wild collected seed raised plants of C. persicum, which look nothing like the hybrid florist ones. I love the wild species, as it produces a ton of flowers, and gets better with each year.
Cyclamen species can be long lived. I recently inherited some 40 year old tuber of C. rholfsianum from a friend, some tubers are over 1 foot wide. Some of my C. graecum and C. hederifolium have tubers that are over 10″ in diameter. With time they can become heritage plants producing hundreds of flowers.
I repot bulbs in July when they are dormant, and in some years, I can see tiny flower buds already forming. In some years, plants begin blooming in mid-August, and in other years, as late as the beginning of October. The tubers respond to shortening days but also to the arrival of the autumn rains (in Turkey, Cyprus, and other Mediterranean countries) and also to temperature shifts as nights start to get cool in late summer. It’s the magical combination of these environmental triggers that stimulates the tubers to begin growing.
If, by chance, you are attempting to keep a florist plant through its dormant period, a few notes. NEver cut the foliage off until it dies back completely in spring. Allow the pot to become dry, at which time you can repot the tuber into fresh soil. Start watering it in late summer, look for new growth. You may want to target September 1 as the start date. If you are lucky, leaves will begin to emerge, but know that with C. persicum, flower buds come much later in the season, probably in late February. Try to keep the plant in a cool, very bright window. They will sulk under lights where it will be too warm.
Lastly, know that many cyclamen enthusiates cherish the foliage variation more than even the flowers. A C. hederifolium with a skinny, arrow-shaped silver leaf might be viewed as more collectable than one that looks like the traditional English Ivy. But really, is there any Cyclamen leaf that is ugly? When I choose my florist cyclamen, particularly the dwarf ones, I first look at the foliage pattern, as that will last longer in a display than the flowers will.
In closing, cherish your holiday cyclamen plant knowing that it’s life will most likely be short. You can try saving it for a longer display period, but expecting it to bloom for a second year is unrealistic and, actually, not recommended. If you have a cool greenhouse, do try growing the species cyclamen. If you live in a climate with a mild winter? Definitely try some hardy cyclamen outdoors (especially if you if in the mid-Atlantic or Northern California, the Pacific NW. I am jealous! The rest of us should just try our best to keep a gift cyclamen in bloom through the New Year, and then move on with our lives.
Don’t, forget to write that guy who says that you can start cyclamen from a leaf cutting and tell him that he’s crazy, wrong, and to stop posting fake, made-up methods. I mean, really? Do it.
