Cyclamen: November Houseplant of the Month

Thanks to its white and brightly coloured flowers, Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum) is the ideal plant to combat the dark day blues. It may look delicate, but it’s a strong bloomer that emerges from a sturdy corm. It offers all sorts of excitements. The green leaves grow in a rosette, are heart-shaped and often have attractive silver-grey or pale green markings. Slender stems unroll between the leaves on which incredible flowers emerge which stand out like flags. They can be smooth, have fringes or stick out wide like a ra-ra skirt, and come in colours that nature has made special effort with.

Origin
Cyclamen has long been known as a decorative plant, and is a member of the primrose family. The species that occurs in the wild in the forests and on stony mountain slopes around the Mediterranean from Spain to Iran is the ancestor of today’s houseplants. The philosopher Plato described the plant as far back as the 4th century BC. Cyclamen arrived in Europe in the 16th century, where it was grown in the English Queen Elizabeth’s botanic gardens, amongst other places. The plant faded from view for a while after that, but came back into fashion in the 19th century thanks to the Romantics, and has never dropped out of sight again.

Choice of range
The choice of cyclamens is largest during the period when there is an R in the month. The best-known are the F1 cyclamens: uniform, strong plants with good flowering characteristics. The range includes large-flowered, medium-flowered (midi) and small-flowered (mini) cyclamens. There are also micro-cyclamens, supplied in a 6 cm pot or a vase. The range of colours is endless, but red, white, pink, lilac and bicoloured plants predominate. The flower can be smooth or have fringes, and the foliage can be green or silver. New shapes and scented flowers are making the range ever more diverse.

Sales and display tips for Cyclamen
The red and white flowers are perfect for a ‘festive season with a twist’ feel, whilst the pastel colours do well in the run-up to spring. Cyclamen is a good match with a classic container, whereby black lacquered wood or a black shiny pot in particular shows off the colours beautifully. The houseplant acquires a very energetic, modern look in colourful pots which echo all the spectacle within the pot. Display cyclamens together, preferably on a staging to optimally show off the fantastic shapes of the leaves and flowers.

For more information:
Thejoyofplants.co.uk

Publication date: Thu 12 Oct 2017