Hardy Cyclamen
Both the familiar florist’s cyclamen and the smaller, less well-known hardy species are native to Mediterranean regions. Florist’s cyclamen is generally grown indoors, and will grow outside only in Zones 9 and 10. Here, we are considering only the hardy cyclamen.
Cyclamen foliage is almost as pretty as its flowers. Heart-shaped leaves are often marked in pale green, white, or silver. The teardrop-shaped buds blossom into butterflylike blooms with reflexed petals that turn backward like wings. They hover over the plants on slender brownish red stems.
The hardy cyclamen grows to 4 or 5 inches in height, with 3/4 to 1-inch flowers. It grows best in Zones 5 through 9, but can tolerate colder climates if adequately mulched in the winter. Plant tubers in midsummer in light shade and rich soil. It is especially attractive in woodland settings.
Species bloom in the fall or spring. C. cilicium, or Sicily cyclamen, bears pale pink flowers against silver-traced leaves in the fall. C. coum (C atkinsii) is a spring bloomer with flowers in white, pink, or red. Fall blossoms of the European cyclamen, C. europaeum, are rose-red and very fragrant, and the foliage is mottled in silver and white. Marbled foliage is also characteristic of late summer-blooming C. neapolitanum, the Neapolitan cyclamen. The rose-pink or white flowers of this fragrant plant bloom before its foliage.
