PlantFiles: Hardy Cyclamen, Ivy-leaved Cyclamen
Cyclamen hederifolium

Has anyone had experience growing C. Hederifolium from seed? Were they difficult to prick out when startd close together? I have a small small pot of seedings (1 leaf) that i would like to separate. Has anyone made a potting that they have found to be especially successful?

During winter 2009-10, I raised ivy-leaved cyclamens from seed. The next spring, I planted three of them outdoors in the shady area between our house and the next. They didn't completely go dormant in summer, because of the cool temperatures but produced a good number of leaves for first-year plants.

This winter (2010-11), they survived with no significant damage from freezing. This is probably due to the large snowfall (2 feet) that protected them through the whole winter (strawberry saxifrage too, which is supposed to be too tender for our winters), but hopefully they will survive less snowy winters as well!

Three years ago (the fall of 2008) I bought tubers and planted them, but they were planted too late, and prevented from settling in by squirrels digging them up over and over. They didn't survive the winter, and their tubers were mush from freezing. Since then, I've learned to plant them earlier so that they are more ready for winter!

This winter (2011-12) all the Cyclamen hederifolium plants that were outside in the ground died. The winter was not very cold (it only reached -11, according to WolframAlpha), but there was hardly any snow, which must have allowed the tubers to freeze and refreeze and turn to mush. So I've removed my zipcode. One plant out of five in the courtyard of the U of M Biological Sciences greenhouse, where I planted a few in pots sunk into the ground, survived, however, presumably since the greenhouses surrounding the courtyard give it a milder microclimate.

I've got one cyclamen left in a pot, which I will now keep inside, in case our next winter is also relatively snowless. I will try growing Cyclamen purpurascens outside instead, since I know of a few people who grow it successfully in Minnesota.

Grows well in my shade garden. Reliable and carefree, it is a lovely addition to my winter garden, which is when it flowers here.

It is growing in light shade in clay soil and is thriving.

This plant likes dry shade and patience. It takes a while for a corm to become a respectable plant.

I've had about five of these cyclamens around the drip line of a dogwood tree for about 2 years. With a covering of hay, some of them retain their leaves through the winter (28 F was our coldest night here this winter). I've not yet seen the profuse blooms that others have reported here. I usually only have two to three flowers at a time on each corm. I hope they will produce more blooms as they become better aclimated to my garden.

I've read elsewhere that they don't like to be disturbed once they are rooted, but I've transplanted mine once to put them into the current location and there was no problem in moving them. They continue to grow and flower.

I've also read that they prefer good drainage and don't like to be kept wet and soggy. Our northeast Florida sandy soil seems to work well to keep their planting area on the dry side.

When I first planted them, there were no directions from the source as to how to plant them. The corm is smooth and convex (slightly domed) on one side and somewhat rough and concave on the other. I think it turned out that the rough, concave side needed to be facing up when planted, but I'm still confused! They grew both ways, but do best, of course, when planted with the root side down and the stem side up. Perhaps those with more experience can provide the instructions here for which side is up?

I do hope my cyclamens will spread. They provide a very interesting accent around the dogwood tree.

Thank you dear people for answering all my questions ( in my mind, so far) concerning these wonderful plants. I saw several at my daughter's and was really impressed. I really didn't know where to buy them but finally found a place that specializes in alpines and assorted small plants. Came home with five. C. hederifolium and hederifolium alba both of which are blooming now. I didn't know anything about plant habit or anything, your posts tells me what I need to know. I am in Zone 5b. Thanks again.

One of the loveliest of small bulbs/tubers. Spreads rapidly providing a groundcover under azaleas and rhododendrons. Blooms heavy in the Spring with the foliage present, then dies down only to return with just flowers in the Fall. Spreads by self sowing seeds. Can be lifted and divided to start new areas. Very hardy, seems resistant to most all bugs. Prefers well drained soil and morning sun/or filtered.

A small perennial from Southern Europe and Turkey.

Has triangular, deep green, sometimes toothed leaves much marbled with silver grey and sometimes having a purple underside, that can persist through winter. Bears small, pink flowers with 5 reflexed petals with a darker pink marking on the base of each petal. Flowers may be scented but you'll have to get on your knees to smell them. The whole plant originates from a flattened round tuber.

Flowers mainly August - November

Loves a well drained, fertile soil in light shade. May need some mulch after the leaves die down in cold climates. Dislikes a lot of moisture especially when dormant in summer, placing them under shrubs could help to avoid that kind of soil condition.

This hardy cyclamen typically grows 4-6" tall and features pink or white tinged with pink flowers (2" long) with a darker eye and with reflexed petals. Blooms somewhat profusely in late summer into fall, one flower per stem. Extremely attractive, ivy-shaped, mottled leaves are variably colored, but usually gray-green with silver and white marbling. The flower stalks typically rise up late summer to early fall and are followed by the foliage which persists through winter and goes dormant in late spring. Sometimes sold as C. neapolitanum.