Ivy-leaved cyclamen

Sun

Partial shade or light, dappled shade; tolerates some sun where summers are cool.

Water

Keep lightly moist while leaves and flowers are growing. Established plants tolerate dry summer dormancy; avoid persistently wet soil in any season.

Soil

Well-drained, humus-rich soil, preferably neutral to alkaline. Tolerates root competition beneath established deciduous trees.

Height

0.3-0.5 ft (0.1-0.15 m)

Spread

0.5-1 ft (0.15-0.3 m) per mature plant; colonies spread farther by seed

Flowers

Late summer to autumn; pink or white flowers with swept-back petals, usually appearing before or with the new leaves.

Foliage

Ivy-shaped to broadly triangular leaves, often marbled with silver and dark green. Leaves persist through winter and die back in late spring or early summer.

Growth

Slow to moderate; seedlings take several years to flower.

Care needed

Low

• Plant tubers with the top about 1-2 in (2.5-5 cm) below the surface; avoid burying them deeply.
• Water during prolonged dry spells in autumn and winter, but reduce watering once the leaves die back.
• Apply a thin layer of leaf mould in autumn without burying the crowns.
• In poor soil, give a light application of balanced fertiliser when autumn growth begins; rich feeding is unnecessary.
• Mark dormant clumps so you do not damage the tubers when digging or planting nearby.

Pruning. No routine pruning is needed. Let leaves yellow completely before removing them, and leave developing seed capsules if you want the plants to naturalise.

Late summer

Plant dormant tubers or buy flowering plants to check their colour and planting depth.

Autumn

Apply a thin leaf-mould mulch and water if the soil remains dry as growth resumes.

Winter

Check that drainage remains clear and remove thick, wet piles of fallen leaves that smother the foliage.

Spring

Keep foliage intact while it replenishes the tuber; weed carefully around developing seedlings.

Late spring to early summer

Collect ripe seed capsules before they open, or leave them to release seed naturally.

Summer

Reduce watering during dormancy and avoid disturbing the resting tubers.

• Naturalise beneath deciduous trees for autumn flowers and patterned winter ground cover.
• Plant along shaded paths where the small flowers and leaf markings can be seen closely.
• Combine with snowdrops and hellebores for a succession of flowers from autumn into spring.
• Use in raised woodland beds or shallow containers with excellent drainage.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, English country, Cottage garden, Low-maintenance, Autumn colour and Winter interest.

Plant it with: Snowdrops, Hellebores, Epimediums, Hardy ferns, Wood anemones and Solomon's seal.

Wildlife: Flowers may be visited by bees. Ants carry away the seeds for their fleshy coating, helping distribute plants around the garden.

• Tuber rot in waterlogged soil: improve drainage or move plants to a raised position; discard soft, rotting tubers.
• Slugs and snails eating flowers or young leaves: remove hiding places and hand-pick pests, or use a labelled iron-phosphate bait.
• Vine weevil larvae damaging tubers, especially in pots: inspect affected containers and use suitable biological controls when soil temperatures allow.
• Accidental damage during summer dormancy: mark clumps and avoid hoeing or digging through their resting tubers.

Toxic to cats, dogs, horses and people if eaten. All parts contain irritant saponins, with the highest concentrations in the tuber. Ingestion can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain; substantial tuber ingestion can cause serious poisoning. Keep tubers away from children and animals, and seek medical or veterinary advice after ingestion.

• Eastern cyclamen (Cyclamen coum)

  Flowers in late winter or early spring rather than autumn, and usually has rounder leaves and shorter, broader petals.

• Florist's cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum)

  Usually has much larger flowers and broad heart-shaped leaves. Common florist cultivars are substantially less hardy outdoors.

• European cyclamen (Cyclamen purpurascens)

  Usually retains leaves through summer, has rounded leaves commonly purple beneath, and bears strongly scented summer flowers.

Cyclamen comes from a Greek word for circle, referring to the rounded tuber, while hederifolium means ivy-leaved.

Propagation. Grow from fresh seed, sown shallowly in a well-drained seed mix and kept shaded and lightly moist. Germination can be slow, and flowering usually takes several years. Move self-sown seedlings carefully while young; dividing mature tubers is risky and not recommended.

Accepted botanical name

Cyclamen hederifolium

Native range

Albania, Bulgaria, East Aegean Is., France, Greece, Italy, Kriti, Sicilia, Switzerland, Turkey and Yugoslavia.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.