Cyclamen persicum (Persian Cyclamen)

Cyclamen persicum (Persian Cyclamen) is a tender tuberous perennial boasting delightfully fragrant flowers from fall to late spring. The charming blossoms, 2 in. (5 cm), feature gracefully twisted and reflexed petals. They can be white, pink, or deep carmine with a darker pink, magenta, or purple mouth. They rise atop leafless stems above the foliage of heart-shaped, dark-green leaves variably patterned in shades of green, gray, or silver. Blooming for about 3 months, Persian Cyclamen goes dormant for the entire summer, but as cool fall temperatures arrive, it will start to grow again. Being tender, Persian Cyclamen is grown primarily as a houseplant. Florist’s cyclamen are frost-tender hybrids derived from Cyclamen persicum.

• Grows up to 6-9 inches tall and wide (15-22 cm).
• Usually grown indoors or under glass where it performs best in organically rich, well-drained soils in bright, filtered light. Maintain moderate humidity and cool temperatures (65°F or 18°C). Avoid drafts and hot dry air. Water moderately during the growing season and apply a liquid fertilizer fortnightly. Cyclamen should be watered thoroughly when the soil looks and feels dry on the surface. But avoid watering the crown or center of the plant, which may rot if it remains too wet. Reduce water after flowering and keep dry when dormant.
• Keep an eye out for vine weevils, cyclamen gray mold, and black root rot.
• Propagate by seed, sown in darkness as soon as ripe. Can be beneficial to soak the seed for 10 hours prior to sowing. The tuber is often planted with the top above the compost to avoid the rotting of the leaves and flowers.
• Native to Algeria, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey.
• 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 that are beautifully shaped like ivy and marked with a lovely silver. Some species flower early in the year, while others wait until late summer, sending up 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.