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CYCLAMEN repandum

Image of Cyclamen repandum

Mark A. Miller

Family

Primulaceae

Botanical Name

CYCLAMEN repandum

Plant Common Name

Cyclamen

General Description

The silver-splashed leaves and elegant, sweet-scented blooms of this hardy cyclamen arise in spring from fuzzy, rounded, underground tubers. Native to Italy, the Dalmatians, Greece, and several Mediterranean islands, it has been cultivated by gardeners for more than 300 years.

The gray- to dark-green, heart-shaped leaves of Cyclamen repandum break ground in late winter or spring. Thinner than those of most other cyclamen species, the leaves are often blotched, dotted, or streaked with creamy or silvery markings. Solitary, nodding, fragrant flowers with five erect, backswept, white or pink petals appear on short leafless stalks in spring. The petals often have a pink or purple eye-mark at the base. The flower stalks coil back to the ground as the spherical seed capsules develop. Ants harvest and distribute the sugary-coated seeds. The leaves die back in late spring.

Hardy to USDA Zone 7, C. repandum thrives in dappled shade and well-drained, humus-rich, near-neutral soil. It does best in relatively sheltered garden niches. Plant the tubers at a depth of 2 or 3 times their diameter in late summer or early fall. This cyclamen is lovely planted in large sweeps. It also makes an excellent choice for a rock garden or pot specimen.

Subspecies peloponnesiacum from southern Greece has pink, purple-nosed flowers and gray-green, silver-flecked leaves. It is relatively frost-tender.

Characteristics

  • AHS Heat Zone

    7 - 1

  • USDA Hardiness Zone

    7 - 9

  • Sunset Zone

    4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

  • Plant Type

    Bulb or Corm or Tuber

  • Sun Exposure

    Partial Sun, Partial Shade

  • Height

    6"-8" / 15.2cm - 20.3cm

  • Width

    6"-12" / 15.2cm - 30.5cm

  • Bloom Time

    Early Spring, Spring

  • Native To

    Southern Europe, Western Asia

Growing Conditions

  • Soil pH

    Acidic, Neutral

  • Soil Drainage

    Well Drained

  • Soil type

    Loam

  • Growth Rate

    Medium

  • Water Requirements

    Average Water

  • Habit

    Clump-Forming

  • Seasonal Interest

    Spring

Ornamental Features

  • Flower Interest

    Showy

  • Flower Color

    White, Pink, Rose

  • Fruit Color

    Brown

  • Foliage Color (Spring)

    Green, Gray Green, Silver

  • Foliage Color (Spring) Modifier

    Spotted/Mottled

  • Fragrant Flowers

    Yes

  • Fragrant Fruit

    No

  • Fragrant Foliage

    No

  • Bark or Stem Fragrant

    No

  • Flower Petal Number

    Single

  • Repeat Bloomer

    Yes

  • Showy Fruit

    No

  • Edible Fruit

    No

  • Showy Foliage

    Yes

  • Foliage Texture

    Medium

  • Foliage Sheen

    Matte

  • Evergreen

    No

  • Showy Bark

    No

Special Characteristics

  • Usage

    Alpine, Container, Cutflower, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower

  • Sharp or Has Thorns

    No

  • Invasive

    No

  • Attracts

    Butterflies

  • Self-Sowing

    Yes