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Cyclamen care
Cyclamen persicum · Primulaceae
Also called Florist's cyclamen, Persian cyclamen, Persian violet.
A tuberous plant from the eastern and southern Mediterranean, sold in winter for its swept-back flowers in white, pink, red and purple above silver-marked, heart-shaped leaves. It grows in the cool months and rests in summer, so it needs a cool, bright room and goes dormant after flowering.
Light
Bright IndirectWatering
WeeklyDifficulty
MediumPets
Toxic to cats and dogsHeight indoors
15-23 cm
GrowthUnconfirmed
Moderate
Temperature
10-18 °C
Not below 10 °C
HumidityUnconfirmed
50% - 60%
Likes humid air
Soil pHUnconfirmed
5.5-7.0
Slightly acidic soil
Native to
- Algeria
- Tunisia
- Greece
- Cyprus
- Türkiye
- Syria
- Lebanon
- Israel
- Palestinian Territories
Through the year
Water when the surface feels dry, ideally from below by standing the pot in water for about 15 minutes. Keep water off the tuber and the centre of the plant. Water only now and then while it is dormant in summer.
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Spring
WeeklyFlowering winds down; reduce water and feeding as the leaves start to fade.
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Summer
MonthlyDormant: keep it dry-ish in a cool, shaded place, watering only enough to stop the compost drying out completely.
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Autumn
WeeklyRepot if needed, resume regular watering when new leaves appear and start feeding.
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Winter
WeeklyMain flowering season: keep it in a bright, cool spot away from radiators and warm drafts.
Feeding
Every 2 weeks in autumn and winter. Low-nitrogen liquid fertilizer for flowering plants. Too much feed gives soft growth that rots easily. Stop when it goes dormant.
Care tips
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Keep it cool
Days around 16-18 °C and nights near 10 °C make each flower, and the whole display, last much longer.
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Remove spent flowers
Twist and pull each faded stalk from the base so it comes away cleanly and does not rot.
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Let it rest in summer
Yellowing leaves after flowering are normal; cut back watering and keep the tuber barely moist until new leaves appear in autumn.
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Replant with the tuber showing
When you repot after the rest, set the tuber with its upper half above the compost.
Common problems
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Tuber and crown rot
What you seeThe centre of the plant turns soft and mushy and leaves collapse.
What to doWater from below, keep water off the tuber and let the surface dry before watering again; a badly rotted tuber cannot be saved.
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Yellow leaves and failing buds
What you seeLeaves yellow and buds shrivel while the plant is still in flower.
What to doMove it somewhere cooler and brighter, away from heaters, and check that the compost is neither soaked nor bone dry.
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Cyclamen mites
What you seeNew leaves and flowers come out puckered, stunted and twisted.
What to doThese mites are very hard to control; discard the plant before they spread to others.
Pets
Is cyclamen safe for cats and dogs?
Toxic to cats and dogs. Listed by the ASPCA as toxic to cats and dogs. It contains terpenoid saponins that cause drooling, vomiting and diarrhea; eating a lot of the tuber can cause heart rhythm problems, seizures and death.
Good to know
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The genus name comes from the Greek for circle, after the round tubers.
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Persicum means Persian, but the wild plant grows around the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa, not in Persia.
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A plant grown from seed takes about 18 months to flower for the first time.
