Create Your Garden

Cyclamen hederifolium (Ivy-Leaved Cyclamen)

Ivy-Leaved Cyclamen, Neapolitan Cyclamen, Sowbread, Cyclamen neapolitanum

AGM Award
Cyclamen, Cyclamen hederifolium, Pink Cyclamen, Hardy Cyclamen
Cyclamen Hederifolium, Ivy-Leaved Cyclamen, Neapolitan Cyclamen, Sowbread, fall flowering bulb, fall cyclamen, Pink flowering bulb, White flowering bulb, Cyclamen neapolitanum

Popping up in the fall garden when most plants have finished blooming, award-winning Cyclamen hederifolium is a perennial plant that creates a captivating sight when massed. Opening before or with the leaves, elegant nodding flowers in shades of rich magenta to white, 1 in. across (2.5 cm), rise above the foliage in late summer to mid-fall. Sometimes fragrant, they are borne on 4-6 in. stems (10-15 cm) and feature gracefully, upswept petals, darker around the mouth. The variegated foliage is also decorative with its large, ivy-shaped leaves in shades of green, gray, pewter, or silver. Long-lasting, it creates an almost evergreen ground cover and adds color and beauty to the garden during the winter months and well into spring.

Native to the Mediterranean region, Cyclamen hederifolium is the hardiest, most robust, and easiest Cyclamen to grow. Produced from a tuber, it is long-lived and truly bejewels the fall garden.

  • Growing up to 4-6 inches tall (10-15 cm) and 6-12 in. wide (15-30 cm), it will self-seed and naturalize freely if left undisturbed.
  • Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society for its outstanding qualities
  • Easily grown in moderately fertile, humus-rich, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in part shade. Tolerant to all average garden soils, this Cyclamen can grow in areas with more sun. Cover the plants with mulch when the leaves wither. Do not water excessively in the summer (dormant period) to avoid rot problems.
  • Deer, drought, and dry soil tolerant
  • Low maintenance, this Cyclamen doesn’t need weeding or deadheading!
  • Best planted en masse in front of shrubs, around trees, and in rock gardens. Also, great in woodlands or containers.
  • Watch for mice and squirrels.
  • Propagate by seed, sown in darkness as soon as ripe. It can be beneficial to soak the seed for 10 hours prior to sowing.
  • Toxic to dogs, toxic to cats, toxic to horses.

Cyclamen are low-growing tuberous perennials with delicate, winged ‘butterfly’ flowers in shades of pink to white and dark green leaves beautifully shaped like ivy and marked with a lovely silver. Some species flower early in the year, while others wait until late summer, sending successive waves of attractive blooms into early fall. Easy to grow, there are about 20 species of Cyclamen, and almost all of them are native to the Mediterranean.

Requirements

Hardiness 5 - 9
Heat Zones 1 - 8
Climate Zones 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Plant Type Bulbs, Perennials
Plant Family Primulaceae
Genus Cyclamen
Common names Cyclamen
Exposure Partial Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Late), Fall
Height 4" - 6" (10cm - 15cm)
Spread 6" - 1' (15cm - 30cm)
Spacing 4" - 6" (10cm - 15cm)
Depth 2" (5cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Low, Average
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Well-Drained
Characteristics Plant of Merit, Showy
Tolerance Drought, Deer, Dry Soil, Rabbit
Attracts Bees
Garden Uses Beds And Borders, Ground Covers, Patio And Containers, Underplanting Roses And Shrubs
Garden Styles Prairie and Meadow, Informal and Cottage, Gravel and Rock Garden
How Many Plants
Do I Need?
Guides with
Cyclamen
Not sure which Cyclamen to pick?
Compare Now

Alternative Plants to Consider

Cyclamen hederifolium var. hederifolium f. albiflorum (Ivy-Leaved Cyclamen)
Cyclamen persicum (Persian Cyclamen)
Cyclamen coum ‘Maurice Dryden’ (Persian Violet)
Cyclamen coum ‘Tilebarn Elizabeth’ (Persian Violet)
Cyclamen coum (Persian Violet)
Cyclamen cilicium (Cilician Cyclamen)

Recommended Companion Plants

Polystichum setiferum (Soft Field Fern)
Arum italicum subsp. italicum ‘Marmoratum’ (Italian Arum)
Helleborus niger (Christmas Rose)
Galanthus nivalis (Snowdrop)
Tiarella cordifolia (Foam Flower)
Athyrium (Lady Fern)

Find In One of Our Guides or Gardens

30 Christmas Flowers and Plants to Brighten Your Home and Garden
50 Best Fall Flowers for Your Autumn Garden
34 Best Indoor Plants for Bathrooms
Cyclamen
30 Great Perennials for Shade
Popular Flower Bulbs For Your Garden and Pots
Create a Garden with Great Winter Interest
Flower Bulbs That Thrive Under Trees
30 Stunning Winter Flowers to Brighten Your Garden and Home
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.
Buy Plants

Requirements

Hardiness 5 - 9
Heat Zones 1 - 8
Climate Zones 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Plant Type Bulbs, Perennials
Plant Family Primulaceae
Genus Cyclamen
Common names Cyclamen
Exposure Partial Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Late), Fall
Height 4" - 6" (10cm - 15cm)
Spread 6" - 1' (15cm - 30cm)
Spacing 4" - 6" (10cm - 15cm)
Depth 2" (5cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Low, Average
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Well-Drained
Characteristics Plant of Merit, Showy
Tolerance Drought, Deer, Dry Soil, Rabbit
Attracts Bees
Garden Uses Beds And Borders, Ground Covers, Patio And Containers, Underplanting Roses And Shrubs
Garden Styles Prairie and Meadow, Informal and Cottage, Gravel and Rock Garden
How Many Plants
Do I Need?
Guides with
Cyclamen
Not sure which Cyclamen to pick?
Compare Now

Gardening Ideas

Plant Calculator

How many Cyclamen hederifolium (Ivy-Leaved Cyclamen) do I need for my garden?

Input your garden space dimensions

Your Shopping List

Plant Quantity
Cyclamen hederifolium (Ivy-Leaved Cyclamen) N/A Buy Plants

Please Login to Proceed

You Have Reached The Free Limit, Please Subscribe to Proceed

Subscribe to Gardenia

To create additional collections, you must be a paid member of Gardenia
  • Add as many plants as you wish
  • Create and save up to 25 garden collections
Become a Member

Plant Added Successfully

You have Reached Your Limit

To add more plants, you must be a paid member of our site Become a Member

Update Your Credit
Card Information

Cancel

Create a New Collection

Sign Up to Our Newsletter

    You have been subscribed successfully

    Join Gardenia.net

    Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.

    Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.

    Join now and start creating your dream garden!

    Join Gardenia.net

    Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.

    Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.

    Join now and start creating your dream garden!

    Find your Hardiness Zone

    Find your Heat Zone

    Find your Climate Zone