Deno’s GardenMy Garden

Cyclamen persicum

Common Cyclamen · Cyclamen · Florist's Cyclamen

Family PrimulaceaeGenus Cyclamen

White flowers with swept-back petals and magenta mouths, above a rosette of heart-shaped leaves marbled silver, at the foot of a rock
FlowerHanayCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

The plant

Habit
Bulb, Herbaceous PerennialExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Habit
tuberous geophytePlants of the World Online
Height
6-9 in15-25 cmExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Spread
6-9 in15-25 cmExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Flower
Pink, Purple/Lavender, Red/Burgundy, WhiteExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Blooms
Spring, WinterExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Native range
Algeria, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Greece, Kriti, Lebanon-Syria and elsewhereGBIF Backbone Taxonomy
Hardiness zones
9-11Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Growing conditions

Sun
Dappled Sunlight; Partial ShadeExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil
Loam (Silt)Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Moisture
Good Drainage, MoistExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — NC State Extension; Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Florist's cyclamen are cultivars of this species. Its names in several languages, including English sowbread, refer to pigs eating it. Wikipedia: Cyclamen persicum
  • Grown in France since at least 1731. Breeding of its varieties began in England in the 1860s. Wikipedia: Cyclamen persicum

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around December 14, 2026 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 112 days to germinate.

78% germination in 63–112 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Cyclamen p. 128Public domain
Show the original text
Cyclamen (Primulaceae). Germination is hypogeal with first formation of a corm and multiple branching root system followed after an interval of 1-2 m by emergence of a true leaf. C. persicum germ. 70(78% in 9-16 w), 70L(none), and 40(25% in 9th w). The seedlings that germ. at 70 were kept at 70, and a true leaf developed (hypogeal germination) in 1-2 m. The seedlings that germ. at 40 all rotted and no further germination took place on shifting to 70. None germ. in 70L-40-70D. The sample in 70L should have been shifted to 70D after 3 mat 70L to determine whether the 70L had permanently injured the seed. This is one of the few examples found in the present work where light blocks germination. Seed deteriorates on DS.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Cyclamen p. 128. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around February 1, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C

Germination happens during step 1, in 63 days.

25% germination in 63 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Cyclamen p. 128Public domain
Show the original text
Cyclamen (Primulaceae). Germination is hypogeal with first formation of a corm and multiple branching root system followed after an interval of 1-2 m by emergence of a true leaf. C. persicum germ. 70(78% in 9-16 w), 70L(none), and 40(25% in 9th w). The seedlings that germ. at 70 were kept at 70, and a true leaf developed (hypogeal germination) in 1-2 m. The seedlings that germ. at 40 all rotted and no further germination took place on shifting to 70. None germ. in 70L-40-70D. The sample in 70L should have been shifted to 70D after 3 mat 70L to determine whether the 70L had permanently injured the seed. This is one of the few examples found in the present work where light blocks germination. Seed deteriorates on DS.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Cyclamen p. 128. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

Add to My Garden

View species page