By Lois Scott, Master Gardener
I always enjoy flowers in the house at this time of year and Cyclamens (Primula family) are a lovely and available plant option to satisfy that desire. Readily available for the holiday season these plants may continue to bloom for weeks afterwards.
The florist plant that is sold during the winter is a hybrid of Cyclamen persicum originating in southern Europe, and the Mediterranean to Iran. In its native range it comes into bloom in the cooler temperatures of autumn going dormant in the summer.
Cyclamen is a lovely plant that you may find in sizes ranging from 15 to 30 cm. Its heart shaped leaves may be dark green or mottled white or silver and bears flowers of white, pink, mauves or reds. Flowers may be double, bicoloured or frilly. The flowers have five petals that reflex back looking somewhat like badminton birdies. Very charming!
As an indoor plant it does prefer a cooler environment ranging from 15 to 18C and although I have read and experienced the fact that today’s hybrids will tolerate warmer temperatures, a cool windowsill for example would be ideal. Cooler temps will help prolong blooming time.
Cyclamen like a brightly lit spot and our winter sun is tolerated. Keep the soil moist by bottom watering to avoid getting water in the crown as that may cause rot. Fertilize with diluted houseplant fertilizer every 2 weeks. Deadheading will encourage continuous blooming. To deadhead twist the stem and pull sharply to remove it from the crown.
Cyclamen will naturally stop blooming in late spring and go into dormancy for 2 to 3 months. Dormancy means that the leaves will fade and drop off. If you want to save the tuber you can plant it outside for the summer in a shady spot or store it in vermiculite for 6 to 12 weeks. Repot your stored tuber with the upper half of the tuber above the planting medium. Water as the tuber starts forming new leaves and fertilize until flower heads form.
Typically, cyclamen is treated as a short-lived plant if one doesn’t have the right light conditions to get it to rebloom. The photo below with the bicoloured petals was purchased in December 2024.
After blooming it sat dormant in a pot, was not watered and then started sprouting in late 2025. Watering was resumed and it has been blooming since then.
Second year cyclamen can be a bit leggy with perhaps fewer blooms but can still provide a colourful accent which is always appreciated at this time of year!
Additional Resources
The Peterborough & Area Master Gardeners 