The cyclamen sold in pots, Cyclamen persicum, comes from the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa. Its home has wet, cool winters and hot, dry summers, and that pattern explains almost everything about its care. Plants grow and flower while the weather is cool, then die back and rest as summer heat arrives.
The Australian calendar
In the southern hemisphere the cycle runs the other way round to the books. Expect flowers from autumn into winter, roughly April to August. Leaves yellow and flowers fade as summer approaches, and the tuber is meant to rest from about December to February. Many people throw a resting pot away; if you keep it dry and cool, it can shoot again in autumn.
Keeping a pot happy
- Place it in bright light without hot direct sun, and keep it away from heaters.
- Pour water into the saucer, and empty any left standing after thirty minutes. Wet crowns rot.
- Remove spent flowers and yellow leaves by twisting the whole stalk off at the base.
- Feed lightly with dilute liquid fertiliser once a fortnight during flowering.
Outdoors, cyclamen persicum suits a shaded, sheltered spot in mild districts, whereas small hardy species such as Cyclamen hederifolium do well in cold gardens in Tasmania and the highlands.
Why the tuber is risky
The ASPCA classes cyclamen as poisonous for dogs, cats and horses. The compound is concentrated in the tuber, and chewing it can cause vomiting and diarrhoea, with heart rhythm problems or seizures in serious cases. Keep pots well out of reach, and phone the vet if a pet has dug one up.
