Ivy-leaved cyclamen

Description

The ivy-leaved cyclamen is a small herbaceous perennial growing from a flattened tuber. It is famous for its delicate flowers with backswept petals, pink in various shades or white, which appear in autumn before or together with the leaves. The leaves, which emerge after flowering, are heart-shaped or lobed like those of ivy, often marbled with silver, and stay decorative all winter.

Habitat and distribution

It is native to the northern Mediterranean basin, from southern France to Turkey, including many islands. It grows wild in woodland, scrub and rocky ground, from sea level to over a thousand metres. It has also naturalised further north in Europe.

Cultivation

It is one of the hardiest and easiest cyclamens, perfect for greening shady corners under trees and shrubs. It wants part shade or shade, a humus-rich, well-drained soil. In summer the tuber goes dormant and should be kept dry, then revives with the autumn rains. Once established, it self-seeds freely, forming broad colonies.

• Plant tubers in summer, just below the surface
• Do not water during summer dormancy
• Let the seeds ripen for self-sowing

Did you know?

After flowering, the flower stalk coils like a spring, bringing the seed capsule close to the ground. The tuber, which can grow very large over the years, is toxic if eaten due to its saponin content.