Growing Hardy and Non-Hardy Cyclamen Or - How to Succeed With a Plant That Flowers in Winter, Sleeps in Summer, and Just wants to be left alone
There are hardy Cyclamen, which are essentially woodland survivalists, and then there's non-hardy Cyclamen, which are delicate Mediterranean souls pretending to be houseplants, and to make things even more confusing, garden centres sell all of them under the same name. Get them mixed up, and it won't end well for you or the plant.
What Cyclamen Actually Are - Lets Get Nerdy
 |
| Cyclamen grow on the hilly slopes of the med wet in winter dry in summer |
This explains their baffling behaviour in British gardens. Cyclamen are essentially programmed to grow when conditions are cool and moist, then retreat underground when things warm up. While other plants are peaking in summer, Cyclamen are having a lie-down. When autumn arrives and everyone else starts to give up, Cyclamen suddenly wake up and start flowering like nothing happened. Think of it this way - Cyclamen aren’t being difficult, they’re running ancient Mediterranean software in a British operating system.
It’s not rebellion. It’s biology.
Hardy Cyclamen: Outdoor Plants With Excellent Manners
 |
| Cyclamen are woodland plants. |
The two most important hardy species for UK gardens are Cyclamen hederifolium and Cyclamen coum, and they neatly tag-team the gardening year. Cyclamen hederifolium flowers first, often from late August through October, popping up when summer bedding is still clinging on but starting to look tired. Cyclamen coum follows later, flowering from January through March, often pushing flowers up through frost, leaf litter, or a thin layer of snow just to show off.
Both species are fully hardy throughout the UK and can tolerate temperatures well below freezing, provided their tubers aren’t sitting in cold, wet soil.
Where Hardy Cyclamen Really Want to Live
 |
| Hederifolium makes a good edging plant |
What they cannot tolerate is waterlogged soil. Cyclamen tubers rot easily if they sit in wet ground over winter, which means heavy clay needs improving before planting. Mixing in grit, sharp sand or leaf mould improves drainage and mimics the loose, organic soils they’d grow in naturally.
Once planted, hardy Cyclamen resent disturbance. They are not fans of being dug up, divided, or “checked on”. The best thing you can do for them is plant them carefully, then ignore them politely for the rest of their lives.
Planting Hardy Cyclamen Without Causing Offence
 |
| Coum has a round leaf |
Autumn is the ideal planting time, particularly for Cyclamen hederifolium, as it mirrors their natural growth cycle. Spring planting also works, especially for Cyclamen coum, but autumn gives them time to establish before winter flowering.
Once planted, resist the urge to water excessively. In most UK gardens, natural rainfall is sufficient, and overwatering does far more harm than good.
Leaves First, Flowers Later (Or the Other Way Around)
 |
| Hederifolium has a more pointed leaf |
Cyclamen coum does the opposite, producing leaves first and flowers shortly afterwards. Its foliage is rounder and neater, and many gardeners value it as much for its leaves as for its flowers. Both species photosynthesise primarily during the cooler months, which is why they look so fresh when everything else looks exhausted.
Both die back completely in late spring or early summer, leaving nothing visible above ground. This is not death. This is a strategic retreat.
Feeding and Maintenance (Or Lack Thereof)
Hardy Cyclamen do not need regular feeding and actively dislike rich, heavily fertilised soil. A light mulch of leaf mould in autumn is more than enough, mimicking the natural woodland litter they’d experience in the wild. Overfeeding encourages leaf growth at the expense of flowers and can shorten the plant’s lifespan.
Apart from removing the occasional fallen leaf from surrounding trees if it smothers young plants, hardy cyclamen are astonishingly low maintenance. They are the strong, silent type and succeed best when you resist the urge to be helpful.
 |
| Self seeding makes for a mass carpet look |
One of the most delightful nerd facts about Cyclamen is how they disperse their seeds after flowering, the seed stalk curls downwards in a neat spiral, pushing the seed pod back into the soil. Ants often help distribute the seeds further, attracted by a sugary substance on the seed called an elaiosome, which is a delightful example of plants outsourcing labour. The ants carry the seeds away, eat the sugary bit, and discard the seed somewhere safe. This is called myrmecochory, which is a word worth knowing purely because it sounds like a Victorian medical condition.
Seedlings take several years to flower, but once established, Cyclamen can slowly spread into naturalistic drifts that look intentional and elegant, even if you did absolutely nothing to encourage it.
 |
| Persicum is non hardy and needs cool temperatures |
Now we move indoors, to Cyclamen persicum, the species most people think of when they hear the word “Cyclamen.” - the non-hardy Cyclamen sold in garden centres every autumn/winter, just in time to die in centrally heated living rooms across the country.
Cyclamen persicum is not frost hardy and cannot survive outdoors in a UK winter. It evolved in cool, dry Mediterranean regions and prefers conditions that are bright, airy, and cool. This immediately puts it at odds with most British homes, which are warm, dry, and obsessed with radiators.
If hardy cyclamen are woodland survivalists, non-hardy Cyclamen are cool-climate athletes with strong boundaries, but treat it correctly, though, and it can be a long-lived and spectacular winter houseplant.
Temperature: The Hill Cyclamen Persicum Will Die On
The single biggest mistake people make with non-hardy Cyclamen is keeping them too warm. Cyclamen persicum is happiest at temperatures between 10 and 15°C, which is cooler than most living rooms but perfect for unheated bedrooms, porches, conservatories, or bright hallways.
When kept too warm, Cyclamen respond by wilting, yellowing, and collapsing in a way that suggests deep emotional disappointment. They are not being fussy. Their enzymes literally stop working properly at higher temperatures. This is plant physiology, not attitude.
 |
| lots of imaginative uses for Cyclamen |
Non-hardy Cyclamen need bright, indirect light. A north- or east-facing window is ideal, while strong direct sun can scorch leaves and fade flowers.
Watering is where most people lose the plot. Cyclamen hate water sitting on the crown of the plant, which causes rot. The safest method is to water from below by standing the pot in water for a short time and allowing it to absorb moisture through the drainage holes, then removing it before it becomes soggy.
The compost should be kept lightly moist but never wet. Drying out completely will cause flowers to drop, but constant wetness will kill the plant outright.
To keep Cyclamen persicum flowering longer you will need to dead head the crown. This involves not just removing the spent flower head BUT also the whole stem, failure to do so will result in rot setting in.
Dormancy: The Phase Everyone Thinks Is Death
After flowering, usually in late winter or early spring, non-hardy cyclamen naturally slow down. Leaves yellow and die back, and the plant enters dormancy. This is normal and not a sign of failure.
At this stage, watering should be reduced gradually and the plant kept somewhere cool and dry. In late summer, watering can be resumed, and with luck, fresh leaves and flowers will appear in autumn.
It doesn’t always work, and Cyclamen persicum can be temperamental. Think of reblooming one as a bonus rather than an entitlement.
Can Non-Hardy Cyclamen Ever Go Outside?
Yes, but only in summer and only when frost risk has completely passed. They can be placed outdoors in light shade during their dormant period, provided they are protected from heavy rain. They must be brought back indoors before autumn temperatures drop.
They are visitors, not residents.
Cyclamen Are Smarter Than They Look
Cyclamen are plants with strong opinions about when they want to grow, flower, and rest. Respect those opinions, and they will reward you with colour at times of year when the garden and house most need it.
Grow the wrong one in the wrong place, and you’ll be Googling “why has my cyclamen died” while quietly blaming the garden centre. Understand which is which, keep them cool, dry, and well-drained, and accept that sometimes they know better than you do, then you'll be fine.
Cyclamen don’t need much. Just decent drainage, cool conditions, and the occasional moment of being left alone - which, frankly, we can all relate to.
Happy Cyclamen growing and if you have any questions please ask.
Thanks for reading
Geoff.
Who am I?
I'm a horticulturalist with over 40 years experience in the field. From running garden centres and nurseries growing plants for sale to now, well for the last 12 years, running my own gardening business I'm bringing my expertise to those who are interested. I receive no money or reward for my blogs so they're purely my own thoughts, ideas and experience - enjoy.
Comments
Post a Comment