Halios Winter Cyclamen

Halios Winter Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum 'Halios Winter') flowers through the months when almost nothing else in a pot is doing anything. It forms a neat mound about 30cm high and wide, with silver marbled leaves under large upswept flowers. Stock is grown as a mixed batch, from white and pink through to red and purple, so the shade varies.

Why you'll love it

• Colour in the cold months. It works from autumn into spring, exactly when a courtyard or a front step looks bare.
• Large flowers on strong stems. The Halios selections carry bigger blooms than seedling cyclamen and hold them clear of the foliage.
• The leaves are half the plant. Heart shaped and marbled silver over deep green, so the pot still reads well between flushes.
• It suits a small space. At 30cm each way it fits a windowsill, a balcony pot or the front edge of a shaded border.

Where it works best

Pots and containers. This is its natural home. A 200mm to 250mm pot of free draining mix gives the tuber the air it needs, and three pots grouped read better than one.

Indoors and courtyards. A bright room out of direct sun keeps it flowering, though it wants cool air. A warm living room shortens the display.

Borders and edging. In cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens it can go into a shaded bed, planted 20cm apart under deciduous trees or along a shaded path.

Growing Halios Winter Cyclamen in Australia

Position and climate. Partial shade or bright indirect light, protected from hot afternoon sun. It suits cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens, takes light frost only, and dislikes heat, so subtropical and tropical gardeners should treat it as a seasonal indoor pot plant.

Soil. Open, free draining potting mix. Sit the top of the tuber level with or slightly above the surface, because a buried tuber rots.

Water and feed. Water around the rim rather than over the crown, and tip out anything left in the saucer. Let the surface dry between drinks. A half strength liquid feed every three weeks through flowering is plenty.

Dormancy. When the leaves yellow, stop feeding and cut water back to almost nothing. The tuber rests through the warm months and returns when the nights cool, so do not throw it out because it looks dead in January.

What to expect when it arrives

It is supplied as tube stock: a young, well rooted plant rather than the finished flowering pot you see in a florist window. Expect to grow it on for a season before the first full display, which is the honest trade off for the price.

Pot it up on arrival into a 200mm container and keep it cool and bright. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, under our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the wider indoor flowering plants range.
• Compare other plants for pots.
• Read how to choose the right size pot before potting it on.

Common questions

Is cyclamen safe around pets?

No. All parts are toxic to cats and dogs, and the tuber is the most concentrated, so a dog that digs is the real risk. Keep pots off the floor and out of reach.

What colour will mine be?

The Halios Winter range runs from white and pink to red and purple, grown as a mixed batch. We cannot guarantee a specific shade.

Why are the leaves going yellow?

Late in the season this is normal dormancy. Out of season it usually means too warm or too wet, so move it somewhere cooler and check that water is not sitting in the saucer.

Can I keep it for more than one year?

Yes, if you let it rest. Keep it dry and shaded through the hot months, then water again once the nights cool and it will reshoot.