As the holidays approach for florists, cyclamen appear in garden centers. These plants have lovely, uniquely shaped, and scented red, pink, or white flowers and shiny dark green leaves with varied patterns in white and silver. This is Cyclamen persicum, a beautiful plant native to North Africa, the eastern Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern countries. Though C. persicum is a lovely winter holiday plant, it is not hardy in our wet, relatively cold winters. It is also quite difficult to keep going in a pot, even for the most experienced houseplant gardeners. Water C. persicum only when the soil is dry, but before the leaves droop.
Luckily there are species of cyclamen that do very well outside in our climate. Cyclamen hederifolium and Cyclamen coum, both native to higher elevations in the Middle East, have done well in my garden for more than 30 years. Fall blooming C. hederifolium grow well in my west-facing, sunny rock garden, with the beautiful clumps of leaves continuing through the winter after the flowers have died back. Spring-blooming C. coum prefer somewhat shadier areas under trees and shrubs, though they do grow well in cool sun. Both of these cyclamen require gritty well-drained soil. Avoid lots of watering during the summer when they are dormant. These are small plants that can easily be overcome by neighboring plants, so giving them a bit of space is advised. When dormant in the late spring and summer, the leaves disappear. Cyclamen are easy to relocate because they grow from tubers growing just below the surface of the soil.
Cyclamen reproduce via the spread of their seed. Each seed has sweet, fatty tissue attached called an elaiosome, which attracts ants. This process of ant-distributed seed is called myrmecochory (a useful word that we can all add to our daily vocabulary, especially if we engage in advanced nerdism). Because of the efforts of ants, cyclamen can pop up where least expected, such as between flagstones in garden paths or in the pots of other plants. Seeds that are deposited in ant nests can grow quite a clump of cute little tubers with a single tiny leaf, which can be separated and planted where you want them.
Hardy cyclamen also grow well in pots with good quality, gritty soil and limited watering. Potted cyclamen also have a dormant period when watering should be minimal. I try to propagate cyclamen from seed and by harvesting small tubers, so plant labels are essential during the months when there is nothing above the soil in the pot. Hardy cyclamen in pots should be kept where temperatures are moderate since they do not do well when freezing and thawing; this is a mistake I have made.
There are several additional species in the Cyclamen genus (C. purpurescens, C. repandum, C. graecum) that are not quite as easy to grow, but are very rewarding when grown in pots or protected areas of the garden. You may become enamored with cyclamen; give them a try.
Resources: Carey, Dennis and Avent, Tony, Cyclamen – Great Hardy Perennials for the Garden; “Found on the Plant Delights Nursery” website (plantdelights.com). Click on Articles Library; Grey-Wilson, Christopher, The Genus Cyclamen. Kew Magazine Monograph. 1988.