How to Grow and Care for Cyclamen in the Garden

• Plant types: Tuberous perennial.
• Flower colours: Pink, blue, purple, white, green, and even deep red.
• Flower shape: Delicate, upswept petals giving a butterfly-like or shooting star appearance.
• Foliage: Mostly heart or kidney shaped leaves, often marbled or patterned in silver and green.
• Flowering season: Mostly late winter to early spring, some bloom in autumn.
• Sun exposure: Prefers partial to dappled shade.
• Soil needs: A rich, well-draining soil is essential.
• Pollinator friendly: Cyclamen are winter lifesavers for early pollinators like bumblebees.

Cyclamen coum (Winter Cyclamen)

A much-loved and very hardy species that flowers in mid to late winter. Cyclamen coum forms low clumps of rounded, ivy-green leaves (often with silver patterns) and bears petite blooms in deep magenta, pink, or white. Despite its dainty appearance, this cyclamen is tough and reliable, shrugging off bad frost and even blooming through snow. It will self-sow gradually to create delightful carpets of winter colour, especially under shrubs or at the base of leafless trees. Bees sometimes seek out Cyclamen coum on milder winter days, adding to its wildlife value.

Cyclamen hederifolium (Ivy-Leaved Cyclamen)

The classic autumn-blooming cyclamen, Cyclamen hederifolium is perhaps the easiest to grow in the garden and has been called “bomb-proof”. It produces fragrant pink to light purple flowers from late summer into autumn, often before the foliage emerges. The leaves that follow are ivy-shaped with beautiful silver marbling. In addition to being hardy, Cyclamen hederifolium will naturalise enthusiastically, blooming each autumn and often persisting as evergreen foliage through winter. It’s an ideal choice for dry shade under trees, where few other plants dare to grow. This cyclamen really thrives among tree roots and in poor, rocky soils, so long as drainage is good.

Cyclamen purpurascens (European Cyclamen)

A summer-flowering hardy cyclamen, less common but cherished by enthusiasts who want to have more Cyclamen blooms beyond late winter. Cyclamen purpurascens produces rosy deep pink, sweetly fragrant flowers in mid to late summer. Its leaves are rounded or heart-shaped with silver markings, often present year-round. Unlike other hardy cyclamen, it doesn’t go dormant in the summer and can retain some foliage, even blooming sporadically in other seasons. It is very hardy (tolerant of sub-zero temperatures), making it suitable for UK gardens, though it prefers a shaded, cool spot like a north-facing rock garden or woodland bed. The added bonus is the rich perfume of its flowers on warm summer days.

• Trowel or Spade: For digging planting holes or trenches for cyclamen tubers. A hand trowel is usually sufficient for small tubers, while a spade may help when planting en masse or larger container-grown cyclamen.
• Gloves: Useful since cyclamen tubers can irritate skin for some people.
• Hand Fork or Cultivator: To loosen soil and incorporate organic matter (leaf mould or compost) into the planting area. Cyclamen prefer well-aerated soil.
• Grit or Gravel: Mixing in a few handfuls of horticultural grit or gravel at the planting hole improves drainage and prevents rot.
• Watering Can: For watering after planting and during dry spells. Ideally use one with a gentle rose attachment to avoid disturbing the soil.
• Potting Supplies (for containers): If planting in pots, have quality potting mix (John Innes No.2 with extra grit is ideal for hardy cyclamen), and choose pots with drainage holes.

Cyclamen thrive in well-drained, fertile soil. In the garden, they are often happiest in humus-rich soils that mimic their natural woodland or rocky hillside habitats. Before planting, prepare the site by loosening the soil and working in organic matter like garden compost or well-rotted leaf mould, which will improve fertility and drainage. Good drainage is crucial; soil that stays waterlogged is likely to rot cyclamen tubers. If you do have a clay soil, dig in grit or sharp sand to loosen it up, or consider planting cyclamen on a slope, raised bed, or in shallow planting holes with a layer of gravel beneath the tuber for drainage. The key is moist, free-draining conditions; cyclamen like moisture during their growing season but must dry out a bit during summer dormancy.

Excellent places for cyclamen include:

• Shady borders and woodland gardens
• Banks and rockeries
• Around tree bases
• North or east-facing walls

If planting different cyclamen species, avoid mixing them too closely in the same area. A general rule is to allow about a metre distance between different cyclamen species groupings to prevent competition.

The best time to plant cyclamen (whether tubers or container-grown plants) is in the autumn or early spring. This timing ensures they establish in cool, moist conditions, which cyclamen prefer. For hardy cyclamen, planting in September/October (early autumn) often yields flowering by winter or the next spring, depending on species. You can also plant in late winter or very early spring, as long as the ground isn’t frozen solid. In fact, you’ll often find cyclamen in garden centres in full growth or bloom in these seasons – they can be planted straight out into the garden then.

Improve Drainage: Before placing the tuber/plant, you can mix a handful of grit into the bottom of the hole or even form a thin layer of grit/sand at the base. This helps excess water drain away from the tuber’s underside.

Planting: Place the cyclamen tuber in the hole, top side up. If it’s a growing plant, gently remove it from its pot and set it in the hole at the same depth it was in the pot. Backfill with soil, firming lightly around the tuber or root ball. Remember not to plant dormant tubers too deep; about 2cm – 5cm of soil cover is sufficient for most species.

• Planting Depth: In pots, plant cyclamen tubers so that the top of the tuber is just at or slightly above the soil surface. If planting already-leafed cyclamen from a nursery pot, keep the same soil level around the stem.
• Placement: If combining plants (common in seasonal displays), consider companions that enjoy similar conditions. For winter containers with hardy cyclamen, you might include dwarf evergreens or trailing ivy.
• Aftercare: Water the pot thoroughly after planting and let any excess drain away. Place outdoor pots in a sheltered, partially shaded spot (e.g. near a doorway, on a patio that doesn’t get baking sun). In general, container cyclamen may need more regular watering than those in the ground, as pots dry out faster – but always check soil moisture first and avoid waterlogging.

• Hardy outdoor cyclamen are adapted to the natural rainfall patterns of autumn, winter, and spring. Generally, if they’re planted in the ground, you won’t need to water much except at first when just planted and in drought. If they are in pots, it’s likely they’ll need some more attention to avoid the soil drying out.
• When it comes to feeding, when planted in the ground, cyclamen don’t need much feeding if the soil is prepared well. Too much nitrogen can lead to lush leaves at the expense of flowers. A yearly application of organic mulch (leaf mould or compost) over the cyclamen bed in late autumn is usually sufficient feeding.

• Self-Seeding: If you’d like your hardy cyclamen to naturalise, skip deadheading and allow some seed pods to form. Cyclamen have a curious habit: after flowering, the flower stem coils tightly, drawing the seed capsule to the ground, where it eventually splits and ants often help disperse the seeds. You may find baby cyclamen popping up in unexpected places over time (a welcome surprise!).
• Mulching and Protection: Each year, as hardy cyclamen go dormant, you can top-dress the area with a bit of leaf mould or compost. This mimics the natural leaf litter they’d get in the wild and helps conserve moisture and moderate soil temperature.

Winter to Spring Woodland Carpet: Pair Cyclamen coum with snowdrops, winter aconites, and early crocuses to create a natural tapestry of late winter colour. These tiny bulbs will all happily intermingle. As an example, Cyclamen coum’s magenta blooms and marbled leaves look magical emerging through a ground sprinkled with white snowdrops and golden aconites. Throw in a few clumps of hellebores for added height and you have a winter garden that bees and gardeners alike will adore. Hellebores and cyclamen make especially fine partners, with the cyclamen carpeting beneath the taller hellebore flowers.

Autumn Glory Under Trees: For autumn interest, plant Cyclamen hederifolium under deciduous trees alongside autumn crocuses, and late-blooming perennials like Japanese anemones at the woodland edge. As the cyclamen sends up pale pink blooms in September, you could have the purple goblets of colchicum popping up through the same area. Hostas and ferns make good foliage companions here: in summer, their leaves dominate while cyclamen sleeps; come autumn, the hostas will be dying back just as cyclamen flowers and fresh leaves appear. The emerging cyclamen foliage and flowers fill the void left by the retreating hosta foliage. Ferns provide a lovely backdrop of lacy texture behind the bold cyclamen leaves.