Cyclamen Assorted Mix

Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum) is the plant that carries a pot through the coldest, dullest part of the year. This assorted mix is a blend of white, pink, red and purple, each plant only about 25cm tall and 30cm wide, with swept back petals held above marbled silver and green leaves. It flowers when almost nothing else in the garden is bothering.

Why you'll love it

• Colour through autumn and winter. The flowering season runs when most gardens are at their flattest, which is exactly when a pot by the door earns its keep.
• A surprise mix. Plants come as an assorted blend of white, pink, red and purple, so a group planting gives you variety without choosing each one.
• Foliage worth having on its own. The heart shaped leaves are marbled in silver over deep green and look good even between flushes.
• Small enough for anywhere. At 25cm it suits a windowsill, a balcony pot, a courtyard table or a shaded border edge.

Where it works best

Pots and containers. A 150mm to 200mm pot suits a single plant, and three in a wider bowl makes a better display than one alone. Good drainage matters more than pot size.

Indoors. A cool, bright room away from direct sun and away from heaters. Warm dry indoor air is the usual reason a cyclamen collapses within a fortnight.

Borders and edging. In cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens they naturalise well under deciduous trees, planted 20cm apart in dappled shade.

Growing Cyclamen in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light, cool conditions, and shelter from hot afternoon sun. They suit cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens outdoors. They tolerate light frost only, and in subtropical and tropical areas they are best treated as a seasonal indoor pot rather than a garden plant.

Soil. Free draining potting mix or friable garden soil with grit through it. Plant so the top of the tuber sits just at or slightly above the soil surface, because a buried tuber rots.

Water and feed. Water into the saucer or around the rim rather than over the crown, and tip out what is not taken up within half an hour. Let the surface dry between waterings. A half strength liquid fertiliser fortnightly through the flowering season is enough.

Dormancy. As the weather warms, the leaves yellow and die back. This is normal and not a failure. Stop watering, keep the tuber dry and shaded through summer, then resume watering in early autumn and it will shoot again.

What to expect when it arrives

We supply it as tube stock and in 140mm pots sold in packs of ten. Tube stock is young and may arrive with foliage only, flowering in its first full season. The 140mm plants are the ones to buy for colour straight away, and a pack of ten fills a border run or several pots at once.

Colours are supplied as a mix and cannot be selected. Some flopping after transit is normal; water it, put it somewhere cool and bright, and it usually lifts within a day or two. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse indoor flowering plants
• Choosing the right size pot
• Plants suited to cool climates
• See the full range of plants for pots

Common questions

Are cyclamen safe around cats and dogs?

No. The tubers in particular are toxic to cats and dogs, and chewing them can cause vomiting and more serious effects. Keep pots up off the floor and out of reach in a household with animals that chew plants.

Why are the leaves turning yellow?

If it is late spring, this is normal dormancy and the plant is shutting down for summer. Out of season, yellowing usually means overwatering, water sitting in the crown, or a room that is simply too warm.

Will it flower again next year?

Yes, if you respect the dormancy. Keep the tuber dry and out of the sun over summer, then start watering again in early autumn.