Cyclamen Species

With 23 species, numerous sub species as well as some hybrids Cyclamen are a fascinating genus that can provide flowers almost year round as well as amazing foliage.

They come from 8 rough geographic areas, and a range of climates.

Geographic Distribution of Cyclamen :

Eastern Mediterranean (Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanon)
Greece and Surrounding Islands, Cyprus

North Africa (Libya, Tunisia, Algeria)
Italy, France, Balkans – the Balkans are generally described as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia – including parts Greece and Türkiye.

Central & Eastern Europe (Alps, Balkans, Carpathians)The Carpathians are a range of mountains extending from the Czech Republic to Romania.

Iran and Caucasus – The Caucusus are generally defined as the area between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia.
Somalia

The flowering seasons differ greatly as do climate, soil and moisture requirements. This is our seasonal flowering breakdown of the 23 recognised species.

List of Cyclamen Species For All Seasons

Not only do different species flower at different times of the year, they also have varying foliage in both colour and pattern  as well as shape, from green to silver and from rounded to lance shape.

This makes these wonderful woodland plant an attraction in the garden almost year round and for foliage as well as flowers.

Spring-flowering Cyclamen

Cyclamen persicum

Native to the eastern Mediterranean; mild winters, warm summers; widely cultivated for ornamental purposes.

This is the most common form grown commercially, C. persicum is the variety most often sold in large nurseries and florists, sometimes called the ‘florists cyclamen’).

Always available in pots and often grown indoors. C. persicum does not like frosts and does not like cold weather. In warmer climates it is happy in the garden.

Cyclamen pseudibericum

From southern Turkey; prefers moist, shady woodlands in mild Mediterranean climate with spring rainfall.
Found in the Caucasus and parts of Turkey, Cyclamen pseudibericum blooms in late winter to early spring. It prefers partial shade and moist, well-drained soil. The foliage is heart-shaped with a marbled pattern. The flowers are pink or white, with a subtle fragrance. Propagation is typically through seeds or tuber division. Its early spring bloom and fragrant flowers make it a popular choice for shaded gardens or under trees.

Cyclamen libanoticum

Endemic to Lebanon; grows in cool, damp woodland areas of Mediterranean mountain climate.

Cyclamen parviflorum

Native to northern Turkey’s Pontic Mountains; alpine to subalpine climate with snow in winter, wet spring.

Cyclamen creticum

Endemic to Crete; thrives in Mediterranean mountain climate with mild winters, spring rain, summer drought.

Cyclamen repandum

Widespread across southern Europe; thrives in shaded woodland habitats in mild Mediterranean climates.
Native to Southern Europe, Cyclamen repandum flowers in spring. It thrives in partial shade, requiring well-drained, acidic soil. The foliage is rounded, glossy, and often has silver marbling. The flowers, which can be white, pink, or magenta, are sweetly fragrant. Propagation is done by seed or tuber division. A charming addition to woodland gardens or shaded spots, it provides bright flowers in early spring, often before other plants bloom. Read More About Cyclamen repandum

Cyclamen rhodium

Native to Greek islands; prefers rocky, shaded places in Mediterranean climates with wet winters, dry summers.

Summer-flowering Cyclamen

Cyclamen purpurascens

Native to Central Europe; thrives in cool, moist deciduous forests with summer rainfall and cold winters.
Native to the Alps and other mountainous regions of Europe, Cyclamen purpurascens flowers in late summer to fall. It enjoys partial to full shade and well-draining, humus-rich soil. The leaves are dark green with a silver pattern. The fragrant flowers range from pink to deep purple, with a mild scent. This species is propagated by seeds or tuber division. It’s perfect for woodland gardens or shaded, moist areas. Cyclamen purpurascens is also known as , Cyclamen europaeum,  Alpine Cyclamen, European Cyclamen and the Purple Cyclamen.

Autumn-flowering Cyclamen

Cyclamen hederifolium

Widespread in southern Europe; grows in woodlands with dry summers, wet autumns, and mild winters.
Another great woodland plant from originally from Europe (France, Bulgaria through to Crete).
C. hederifolium will grow in full sun (protect from hot afternoon sun in Australia) and enjoys a position beneath deciduous trees growing in the decomposing leaves (leaf mould or leaf litter).

Cyclamen hederifolium flowers in late summer to fall. It thrives in partial sun to shade, preferring well-draining, humus-rich soil. Its heart-shaped, ivy-like foliage appears before the flowers.

The flowers, ranging from white to pink, have a pleasant fragrance. Propagation is typically done through seeds or tuber division. This cyclamen offers an elegant touch to shaded gardens and woodland settings. It is not frost tolerant

Cyclamen africanum

Native to North Africa; thrives in Mediterranean coastal regions with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters.

Cyclamen graecum

From southern Greece; prefers rocky, sunny habitats in arid Mediterranean climate with autumn rain. This a bit of an oddity in that it likes to grow in a hot dry position. The corms take many years to establish but C.graecum is well worth the wait.
This is a species noted for the beauty of its leaf markings and it flowers in late summer to autumn.

Cyclamen intaminatum

Native to western Turkey; thrives in stony habitats with dry summers and cool, moist autumns.

Cyclamen maritimum

Coastal Turkey and nearby islands; Mediterranean climate, flowering after late summer rains on rocky slopes.

Cyclamen mirabile

Native to southwestern Turkey; grows in oak woodlands with dry summers and rain-triggered autumn flowering.

Cyclamen confusum

Native to Crete and western Turkey; prefers Mediterranean woodlands with autumn rain, dry summers.

Cyclamen cilicium

From southern Turkey; mountainous terrain, flowering after summer dormancy in cool, moist autumn.

Cyclamen rohlfsianum

Endemic to Libya; grows in arid Mediterranean zones, flowering after rare late-summer to autumn rainfall.

Late Autumn to Winter-flowering Cyclamen

Cyclamen cyprium (late autumn)

Endemic to Cyprus mountains; thrives in shaded pine forests with cool, wet winters, dry summers.

Cyclamen somalense (late autumn – winter – spring)

Endemic to Somalia’s mountains; semi-arid climate, flowers with sporadic rain during cooler months.

Cyclamen confusum (autumn – winter)

Found in Crete alongside C.hederifolium. Growing naturally in light shade and the rose pink flowers are slightly fragrant.

Winter to Spring-flowering Cyclamen

Cyclamen coum

Native from Bulgaria to Iran; flowers in cold climates with snow or rain during winter and early spring.
Blooming from winter through to spring C. coum is a tough plant and can be left to naturalize in the garden, not afraid of cold weather this species grows well in dappled shade (a great woodland plant). C. Coum requires a well drained soil and a little mulch in summer.

Cyclamen alpinum (syn. C.trochopteranthum)

Native to southwestern Turkey; alpine climate, flowers under snowmelt in cold winter to early spring conditions.

Cyclamen elegans

Native to northern Iran; moist, cool forest edges and rocky slopes, flowering in winter through early spring.

Evergreen Cyclamen Species

Found from Eastern France right through to Slovakia are C. purpurascens and C. colchicum, these are the only Cyclamen species that are evergreen.

Cyclamen for Indoors and Outdoors

You can grow Cyclamen both indoors and outdoors, growing outdoors depends greatly on matching your climate and soil to the right species

It is the cultivars of C. persicum, commonly called florists cyclamen that are widely grown indoors. The species itself C.persicum can also be grown outdoors.

Other popular varieties available for sale include the popular C. coum and hederifolium.

Although they are often grown as indoor plants, they are actually a wonderful garden plant when grown in the right conditions.

For some this will be dappled shade, while other species appreciate full sun. Although they are promoted for the flowers, many species also have excellent foliage and will form a good dense clump over time.

Most species can be left for many years in the garden, a little fertiliser in spring and perhaps some water during long dry spells when they are in active growth is all that they require. They will multiply and be divided if they become to crowded.

In general they are a perennial plant that grow from a surface or underground tuber or bulb depending on species.

Most species are shade lovers, a few are sun lovers. some are spring flowering species such as C. alpinum, C. coum, elegans and persicum, others are autumn flowering such as C. cilicium, graecum and hederifolium.

Cold tolerant Cyclamen

The two species that have a greater degree of tolerance to cold are regarded as C. purpurascens (Purple Cyclamen) and C. coum var. kuznetsov.

Cyclamen Planting Depth

Although we often see Cyclamen persicum bulbs exposed and planted at surface level, In general most species will grow with the corms at surface level, however prefer to be planted at least around 1 inch (3cm) deep.

Species such as C.repenum and C. rhodium certainly prefer being planted a littler deeper than that, 10cm (4 inches) and in most cases other species will perform better. In cold areas up to 15 cm (6 in) is better. 

So although planting depth is not critical and about 2 cm (¾ in) deep will suit most. For some species 5 cm (2 in) is recommended this includes C. repandum, C. rhodium, C. balearicum, and C. creticum In cold areas up to 15 cm (6 in) is better.

Most species will produce larger foliage, more flowers and develop larger corms if planted at a good depth, rather than surface planted.

More Resources

• Cyclamen care
• The Cyclamen Society

Where To Buy

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