Skip to main content

How to plant and care for cyclamen, a petite perennial

Plant cyclamen for gorgeous cool-weather flowers

Assorted pink and white cyclamen.
cocoparisienne / Pixabay

Cyclamen are small perennial plants with beautiful flowers in a variety of shades of white, red, pink, and purple. Their small size and bright colors make them a great choice for holiday gifts, displays, and centerpieces. Not only are they hardy in a wide range of zones, they also bloom during fall and winter. This makes them a brilliant choice if you want a plant to add color and cheer to your garden during the seasons when it may not be too lively. To get started growing this beautiful perennial, here’s our guide on how to care for cyclamen flower.

When and how to plant cyclamen

Red cyclamen flowers
jackmac34 / Pixabay

Cyclamens are perennials that can grow from seed or seedlings or by dividing the tubers of mature plants. Cyclamens are native to the Mediterranean, where they can grow in rocky areas when the weather begins to cool. They do most of their growing and blooming in cooler weather, and go dormant during the hotter months of summer.

Recommended Videos

Mature plants can be found in most nurseries or garden stores during fall and winter, while seeds are available year-round. To start, plant your cyclamen in rich, well-draining soil. Soil that is loamy, or rich in organic material, and slightly acidic is ideal. You can add compost to regular potting soil for indoor cyclamens. Mature plants can be transplanted into your preferred container or outdoor garden as soon as you get them, but seeds are best planted in late summer.

Cyclamen can be grown indoors or outdoors, but are more often grown as houseplants. This is due in part to their sensitivity to heat. If you want to grow cyclamen outdoors, you should ideally live in a region with temperatures below 65 degrees Fahrenheit in fall, winter, and spring.

Basic care for cyclamen

Pink and white cyclamen growing outdoors
Sunny_Smile / Shutterstock

Since cyclamen grow during fall, winter, and spring, the majority of their care also takes place during these seasons. During the growing seasons, cyclamen need bright, indirect light. For indoor plants, this is easy to accomplish by placing them near a sunny window. Outdoor cyclamen should be planted in partial shade. Afternoon shade, in particular, is helpful, since cyclamen are sensitive to heat.

They need fairly consistent moisture, but can still develop root rot if overwatered. Test the soil to about an inch down. If it’s dry, your cyclamen needs to be watered. Always water below the leaf line and avoid splashing water onto the leaves. Damp leaves can rot over time, which can lead to a sickly and vulnerable plant.

Once your cyclamen is mature, it can be fertilized, but only sparingly. Once every month or every other month is enough during the growing seasons. Over-fertilization can lead to an overproduction of leaves and fewer flowers. Avoid fertilizing entirely during summer.

It’s important to note that cyclamen are toxic to both pets and people. If you have animals or small children that enjoy chewing on your houseplants, you shouldn’t add cyclamen to your home. If you do, keep them well out of reach of your pets or kids.

When should you expect your cyclamen to bloom?

Pink cyclamen in a blue and white pot
Olga Gorevan / Shutterstock

Mature cyclamen begin blooming, in most cases, beginning in late November or early December. These flowers can last over 8 weeks, and typically begin fading in mid to late spring. In general, cyclamen are reliable plants. However, timing can become an issue if you’re growing your cyclamen from seed.

It can take a full year for them to mature enough to begin flowering, so, if you’re impatient, it’s easier and faster to get a mature plant from your local nursery. Once the flowers begin to fade, you’ll likely see seed pods. You can clip these seed pods off, or, if your cyclamen is outdoors, leave them and you might get new cyclamen plants.

Caring for your cyclamen during dormancy

Pale pink cyclamen flowers growing in a small white watering can on a table
Natalia Greeske / Shutterstock

Toward the end of spring and beginning of summer, your cyclamen’s leaves will begin to turn yellow and fall away. Although this can be startling the first time it happens, your cyclamen is perfectly fine, it’s just going into dormancy. While it’s dormant, it won’t grow, so it doesn’t need water or light like it does during the rest of the year. Stop watering your cyclamen and move it to a cool, dark part of your house. It’ll stay dormant for roughly two to three months before beginning to grow again.

At the end of summer, move your cyclamen back to its sunny spot and give it a thorough watering to help wake it up. You should start to see leaves returning within a few weeks. If your cyclamen is planted outdoors, you don’t need to do anything special. Simply stop watering your cyclamen when it goes dormant and resume at the beginning of fall. The natural cycle of dormancy will take care of the rest.

What zones are cyclamen hardy in?

A pink cyclamen flowers blooming in snow
HelgaKa / Pixabay

Cyclamen can grow in USDA hardiness zone 4 to zone 11, but there is a catch. There are several species of plants in the cyclamen genus, and not all of them are native to the same zones. So while there is likely a type of cyclamen that can grow in your zone, the trick is to find the right one. For example, Cyclamen persicum (Persian cyclamen) prefers the warmer weather of zones 9 to 11, and cannot tolerate the colder winters north of zone 9. Cyclamen hederifolium (ivy-leaved cyclamen or hardy cyclamen), on the other hand, has a wider range it can grow in, from zone 5 to zone 9. If you’re growing your cyclamen as an indoor plant, you won’t need to worry too much about these zones, though. Since you have control over the temperature and weather conditions in your home, you can simulate practically any climate for your cyclamen.

Now you’re ready to bring these delightful little plants into your home. They can add a pop of color to any home during a season that typically isn’t associated with flowers, and they make wonderful holiday gifts and decor. Just be sure to keep them out of reach of your children and pets, and remember to leave your cyclamen undisturbed during summer.

Topics
Cayla Leonard
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Cayla Leonard is a writer from North Carolina who is passionate about plants.  She enjoys reading and writing fiction and…
Lupine flowers: Tips for successful growing and care
How to make your beautiful lupine flowers thrive
Dark pink lupine flowers

If your garden is in need of some gorgeous flowers this spring and summer, then lupine flowers might be exactly what it's calling for. Lupines come in many colors, including rich shades of purple, pink, white, orange, and blue. In fact, you might know blue lupine flowers by another name, especially if you live in the southwestern U.S. — bluebonnets. Known for their lovely flowers and fan-shaped foliage, lupine flowers are a popular addition to many gardens. If you want to add them to yours, then simply follow this guide to growing and caring for lupine flowers.
Planting lupine flowers

You can plant lupine seeds in early spring or in the fall. Fall plantings will give you earlier flowers, while spring plantings will give you summer blooms. Both need the same conditions, so simply choose the timing that works best for you. Choose a planting location with full sun. Lupine flowers can tolerate shade, but they won’t bloom as nicely in the shade. Full sun means full flowers.

Read more
6 delightful lenten rose varieties to add to your garden
These hellebore flowers will create a beautiful white splash to your garden space
Pink hellebore flowers

Lenten roses, also known as hellebore, are beautiful, delicate-looking flowers that come in many colors and patterns. As shade-loving flowers, they’re particularly useful for brightening up darker sections of your garden. Whether you want a classic solid purple variety or a more intricate spotted one, there’s a perfect lenten rose for any garden. These gorgeous and elegant flowers are versatile and surprisingly easy to grow. If you want to add one to your home or garden, then you're in luck! Here are six of our favorite lenten rose varieties for you to consider growing.
Fire and Ice

Fire and Ice is a stunning white and pink variety from the Winter Jewels series. Each petal is predominantly white, but the edges are a vibrant shade of pink. It has double-petaled flowers, meaning there are two layers of petals, giving the blooms a fuller appearance. Fire and Ice grows to around a foot and a half tall and is an early-blooming lenten rose. While hellebore are generally among the earliest blooming spring flowers, Fire and Ice often blooms during winter.
Janet Starnes

Read more
What is slit seeding, and how can it help your lawn?
How to slit seed your lawn for lusher growth
Manicured Bermuda lawn

Getting a vibrant green lawn can be tricky, and there are several factors that can make it easier or harder. The way you seed your lawn can make a huge difference, especially if the seeding method you choose isn’t compatible with the type of lawn you have. Each lawn seeding method has its pros and cons, and it’s good to know about each option before you start. One option you might not be aware of is slit seeding, also sometimes called slice seeding. What is slit seeding, and how can it help you achieve the lawn of your dreams? This guide will answer all your questions.
What is slit seeding?

Despite its somewhat unusual name, slit seeding is a fairly simple lawn seeding method. A slit seeder is used to cut slits into the ground, and seeds are planted directly into the soil. With most seeding methods, you scatter grass seeds on top of the soil. Then the seeds germinate and grow roots into the soil over time; however, the seeds could be exposed to elements like wind, wildlife, and intense sunlight. If the seeds are scattered directly onto the soil, enough seeds will be able to germinate -- then this isn’t much of an issue.

Read more