The holiday season is approaching. Gardens are hidden under snow and squirrel tracks. A soft brown slush covers the streets. Christmas decorations seem to have strangled every available square foot of store space. Through this green and red invasion, we can see various winter-flowering plants breaking through: poinsettia, kalanchoe blossfeldiana, schlumbergera and, of course, the delicate cyclamen, with its butterfly-like bloom.
Cyclamen Origin
The cyclamen you see in shops and grocery stores are not found as such in the wild: they are selected cultivars of Cyclamen persicum, distinguished from the basic species by their higher chromosome number. It’s known as the “florist’s cyclamen” and is the main subject of this article.
Like C. persicum, florist’s cyclamen belongs to the genus Cyclamen, which comprises twenty-four different cyclamen species. Most are winter-flowering and only two are summer-flowering. Cyclamens are native to the Mediterranean basin and the Middle East. Persian cyclamen also comes from the Middle East, while florists’ cyclamen is, of course, of horticultural origin.
Cyclamens belong to the Primulaceae family, the same family as primroses, other flowering pot plants that can sometimes be found in spring (or as garden perennials).
Interest in cyclamen is not new: they have been cultivated for their supposed medicinal properties since Antiquity, as well as for their aesthetic properties, so much so that some cyclamen have become naturalized on the Greek islands and in North Africa. The appeal of cyclamen varies over the years according to trends, but they’re never really forgotten, as their presence on the market still attests, despite their… not-so-easy cultivation.
Origin of the Name
Despite a less traditional dormant cycle than other plants, the name “cyclamen” doesn’t come from the word “cycle”, but rather from the Greek kuklos, meaning circle, due to its rounded tuber. Some grow to over thirty centimetres in diameter and weigh more than 30 pounds.
As for its common name, it’s sometimes referred to as Sowbread. This rather old-fashioned name was given to it because pigs are particularly fond of its tuber – or so they say. The name isn’t really used today. It’s simply called “cyclamen”.
Description
Cyclamen are tuberous plants; if you dig up the tuber, it has a rather round, smooth shape, with a slight concave bulge at the top. Copper- or red-colored petioles emerge, at the end of which are the heart-shaped leaves, which may also be slightly indented. In terms of color, the green foliage is punctuated with silver patterns, contrasting veins or more or less abundant variegation. The underside of the leaves is sometimes reddish.
During the flowering period, pointed flower buds appear leaf-like on long, curved flower stalks. Eventually, the flowers bloom and their five petals, arched vertically and beautifully twisted, are somewhat reminiscent of a butterfly that has landed. Each stalk bears just one flower.
When a flower is pollinated, it forms a small, round fruit filled with sticky seeds. In the wild, ants eat the sticky coating and disperse the seeds.
Indoors, cyclamen are generally grown with the top of the tuber slightly raised from the ground. The plant is rarely sold when not in flower.
Varieties
In the long history of cyclamen cultivation, there has been a succession of hybridizers trying to produce plants that are not only prettier or different, but also better adapted to home growing conditions: more tolerant of heat or atmospheric drought, providing longer-lasting flowering or a size more suited to restricted spaces, or no longer needing the dormant period.
Cultivars are rarely identified, let alone related. However, variations can be seen on a number of points:
- Flower color: white, pink, salmon, red, purple or mauve. Their centers can also be a different color from the petals, as can their edges, which can be distinguished by a lighter or darker band;
- Flower shape: petals are generally rounded, but can also be curly.
- Leaf color: silver patterns vary from plant to plant, some even occupying the greater part of the leaf;
- Plant size: in the past, large cyclamen were all the rage, but we now see cultivars of all sizes and adapted to all spaces. Dwarf cultivars are generally easier to grow;
- Flower fragrance: although most cultivars are odorless, some have a scent reminiscent of lily of the valley or hyacinth.
Growing Tips
Holiday Plant
Holiday plants get a bad press, and with good reason. They are generally grown for spectacular flowering, to the detriment of their health, and planted in poor quality potting soil, as they are not expected to survive very long.
Cyclamen is no exception, with its reputation as a demanding plant. Although new cultivars are trying to change this, with optional dormancy periods and increased heat tolerance, cyclamen is not the simplest plant in the world.
Not only can it flower for around three months, but it can also be grown for several years. Worth a try!
Read: Make Your Christmas Plants Last.
Light
Cyclamens need good lighting, with a little direct morning or late afternoon sun. They grow very well under grow lights. In particular, avoid the midday sun, less for its rays than for temperature reasons.
Temperature
Cyclamen are not tropical plants, as mentioned above, but plants for temperate climates: aim for temperatures between 13 and 20°C (59 and 68°F) if possible. At night, they particularly benefit from a drop in temperature, down to 5°C (41?), for example in a lightly heated garage. However, avoid freezing temperatures.
Although modern cyclamen are more tolerant of warmer temperatures (such as those found on south-facing windowsills when the sun is at its zenith), high temperatures can induce summer dormancy (see below for an explanation of dormancy cycles). It’s best to avoid them in all cases.
Watering
Cyclamen is not easy to water and requires frequent monitoring. Like most other plants, wait until the potting soil has dried out a little before watering; however, unlike many other plants, cyclamen do not tolerate periods of drought, and should be watered as soon as possible. For this reason, it’s best to check the dryness of the potting soil every three days or so (or, alternatively, place the cyclamen where it can be seen every day!).
Another peculiarity: as the tubers have a hollow shape from which the leaves emerge, it’s best to water from the bottom, by drenching, or to take care to water the sides of the pot and not the tuber if watering from the top. Keeping potting soil constantly moist, or allowing water to pool in the hollow of the tuber, can cause cyclamen rot.
Atmospheric Humidity
Cyclamen require high atmospheric humidity, especially in winter, when heating dries out the air in houses. Here’s how to increase humidity.
Potting Soil and Repotting
The best time to repot cyclamen is at the start of the growing season, so… not in spring, but in autumn (see below). Although the tuber grows over time, it is not necessary to repot cyclamen frequently, especially dwarf cultivars, which quickly reach their maximum size.
Any houseplant potting soil will do, preferably a light one with draining elements. Re-potting should leave the crown of the tuber exposed to limit the risk of rotting.
Fertilizers
Fertilizer diluted to one eighth of the recommended dose can be used during the growing season, i.e. from autumn to winter. Be careful with recently purchased plants: they’ve probably been fertilized abundantly for spectacular holiday bloom. Once their fertilization needs have been met, it’s best to wait until the next growing season to start using fertilizer.
Resting Period and Growth Cycle of Cyclamen
For us cold-climate creatures, dormancy is reserved for the winter months when temperatures are unbearable, and plants adopt a cycle of spring awakening, summer growth and autumn decline.
Not so with cyclamen: they use dormancy to withstand the hot, dry Mediterranean summers, and resume growth in autumn when the weather cools and rainfall is abundant. This is why the usual activities of growing plants – repotting, fertilizing – are carried out in autumn.
A resting period is not necessary for modern cultivars, although it may be preferable. For older cultivars (and, it seems, larger cultivars), however, it is required. As most cyclamen are unidentified, it may be best to wait and see if there is any dieback around the end of May or beginning of June. This will be a sign that the plant is beginning its summer dormancy.
In Dormancy
If the plant goes dormant, its foliage will yellow and fall off, but the tubers will remain healthy. In this case, place the plant in a warm spot (lighting is not important at this stage) and greatly reduce watering, moistening the soil lightly only if the tuber begins to shrivel.
Towards the end of August or early September, the leaves should start to grow again, and you can then place the plant in the light and gently resume watering, in increasing quantities, in proportion to the size of the foliage.
It’s also possible to bring the plant out of dormancy in summer (it can be placed in full sun without any problem, as there is no longer any foliage to burn). In particular, it will benefit from cool autumn temperatures: just bring it in for the winter.
Multiplication
Cyclamens are produced from seed, which is difficult to do, as it requires temperatures of 13-18°C (55-65°F). They then take around 18 to 24 months to flower.
Leaves cannot be used as cuttings and tubers cannot be divided.
Outside or Not?
These tips concern the cultivation of Persian cyclamen, which cannot be grown in the ground in Canada and many other European countries. However, it is possible to obtain other cyclamen for the garden!
In fact, there are cyclamen species of relatively similar appearance that are hardy in zones 5 to 9 (4 to 8 USDA) or even 4 to 8 (3 to 7 USDA). This information should be taken with a grain of salt, as plant dealers, of course, tend to be rather generous when it comes to the characteristics of the plants they wish to sell. In any case, a good layer of mulch during the resting period will help the plant survive the winters.
Cyclamen coum has round, patterned leaves and white, pink or purple flowers. This is the hardiest cyclamen (zones 4 to 8, 3 to 8 USDA): it can be planted in part-shade and can become naturalized in the garden over the years. It requires little maintenance. Unlike Persian Cyclamen, it flowers in early spring and follows the traditional dormant cycle of other plants.
Autumn Flowering
Cyclamen cicilium, which comes in shades of white and pink, is ideal for autumn flowering. This is a rather small cyclamen, hardy in zones 5 to 9 (4 to 8 USDA), which can be treated like a slightly more delicate C. coum.
Alternatively, there’s Cyclamen hederifolium (with ivy leaves, so slightly more pointed), whose flowers vary between shades of white, pink and magenta. It is hardy up to zone 5 (4 USDA) and a little larger than its predecessors. Flowering starts in late summer and lasts until mid-autumn. This cyclamen can be naturalized.
These cyclamen are plants that, once established, can withstand dry shade. Other cyclamen are grown outdoors less frequently, due to their delicacy or lesser hardiness.
Problems & Diseases
- Flower stalks start to fall, leaves hang slightly. Check the potting soil: if it’s a little dry (and sometimes it really is just a little dry), you’ll need to baste the plant. The flower stems will quickly stand upright. If the potting soil is still damp, it’s probably over-watering: just let it dry out, but flowering is likely to suffer. If the tuber is rotten, it will be almost impossible to save it;
- If all the leaves turn yellow at the same time, it’s time to check whether flowering is over. If there are still flower stalks trying to grow, it’s probably over-watering (see above). If flowering is over, the plant is probably trying to go dormant – especially if kept in a room above 20°C. See the tips above for letting cyclamen rest;
- Curling foliage: a lack of atmospheric humidity;
- Thinning: if petioles and flower stalks seem particularly long, this is a sign that the plant is lacking light. Note that cyclamen are naturally compact;
- Diseases: let’s just mention grey cyclamen mould, a sign that the plant is being kept too moist and that there is poor air circulation. Remove infected parts, and if the plant is too infected, it’s best to throw it away.
Insects
Almost all the usual insects can disturb a cyclamen. These include leaf and root scale insects, whiteflies, aphids, thrips, spider mites and, of course, cyclamen mites. These are tiny, fast-reproducing arachnids that live flush with moist soil, under leaves or in flower buds. The damage they leave on leaves is deformations that give them a rough appearance. Fortunately, because of their great need for humidity, they tend to die out indoors: they are mainly a problem outdoors and in greenhouses.
Buying Advice
As with other flowering plants, choose a plant that is not yet in full bloom, but with plenty of buds visible on the flower stems. If you look closely at the plant, you can see the new buds growing low to the ground. This is the promise of a plant that will be in bloom longer.
Take care when bringing it home: if temperatures are below freezing, it’s best to protect the new plant for transport, and then place it in a bright, cool, damp corner.
Conclusion
Few plants are as ornamental as the cyclamen: its blooms are colorful and long-lasting, its foliage is adorned with silvery patterns, and what can we say about its tuber? Okay, maybe the tuber isn’t that impressive, but the rest is downright pretty. Are you up to the challenge of its demanding cultivation?
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