- Cyclamen: Species and Diversity
- Cyclamen as a houseplant: properties and requirements
- Cyclamen outside in the garden: characteristics and requirements
- Successfully wintering cyclamen in the garden
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The cyclamen cuts a fine figure both in the house and in the bed during the cold season. But how do the different types differ?
The variety of cyclamen (Cyclamen) doesn't stop with pink flowering indoor plants on grandma's kitchen windowsill. Depending on the species, the primula family (Primulaceae) have different flowering times in winter/spring or summer/autumn and are also suitable for the garden. The now numerous breeds offer flowers in all imaginable colors, from white to purple and from orange to red to multicolored. It's really worth taking a closer look at this enchantingly flowering botanical genus.
Cyclamen: Species and Diversity
There are around 22 types of cyclamen in total, which offer a huge variety of flower colors and flowering times. With the right selection, you can admire the butterfly-like flowers almost all year round. However, with the variety come very individual requirements. Here is a small selection of cyclamen:
Ivy-leaved Cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium)
- Also Autumn Cyclamen, Neapolitan Cyclamen
- Flowering period: August to October
- Distribution area: Northern Mediterranean
- Hardy, leaves are kept through winter
Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum)
- Also Persian Cyclamen
- Flowering period: March to April, but also autumn
- Distribution area: Eastern Mediterranean
- Not hardy, leaves wither in winter
Cyclamen (Cyclamen purpurascens)
- Also summer cyclamen, wild cyclamen, cyclamen, terrestrial disc or terrestrial bread
- Flowering period: June to September
- Distribution area: Southern Alps, Eastern Alps to the Balkans
- Hardy, almost simultaneous death and regeneration of leaves
Early Spring Cyclamen (Cyclamen coum)
- Flowering period: January to March
- Distribution: West Asia
- Hardy, leaves appear in autumn
Cyclamen (Cyclamen repandum)
- Flowering period: March to May
- Area of distribution: Southern Europe, Mediterranean area
- Not hardy
Cyclamen as a houseplant: properties and requirements
The non-hardy species such as the cyclamen are best suited for greening rooms. When cyclamen thrive in your own four walls, you have to pay particular attention to the temperature, because the plants do not like too much heat. Here are the conditions under which your cyclamen will feel at home with you and bloom to its full potential:
- Temperature: 12 - 15 °C
- Location: Bright, no direct sun
- Soil: Well drained potting soil
- Pot with drainage hole
A bright spot in a kitchen that is not overly heated or a nice and cool stairwell or adjoining room are therefore ideal. In unheated rooms, just make sure that the temperatures don't fluctuate too much. A well-drained soil combined with the right pot is essential for your pot cyclamen to stay he althy for a long time. The plants are very sensitive to waterlogging and must be watered skillfully. You can read more about watering cyclamen correctly here.
Cyclamen outside in the garden: characteristics and requirements
All hardy species are suitable for planting in the garden. If cyclamen have gotten a nice spot in the garden, they thank you with independent propagation by forming clumps and flowers that bloom in the most beautiful colors every year. For cyclamen outside in the garden, the following only applies:
- Location: shade to partial shade
- Soil: Soil rich in humus, can be improved with our Plantura organic potting soil
Because cyclamen prefer shady locations, they are very suitable for planting under hedges or as a gap filler between taller perennials. Planting instructions for the tuberous bloomers can be found here.
Successfully wintering cyclamen in the garden
Violet, which adorns your garden in tubs, should move to a sheltered place in winter. In the bed, the plants should be covered with a layer of brushwood to protect them.This protects against the winter sun and thus against drying out.