Cyclamen coum
sowbread or cyclamen bulbs (corms)
- Position: partial shade
- Soil: moderately fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil
- Rate of growth: average
- Flowering period: December to March
- Hardiness: fully hardy
- Bulb size: 8/10
Delicate pink flowers with upswept petals appear in winter or early spring above rounded, silvery-green leaves. These diminutive cyclamen are perfect for naturalising around the base of deciduous trees and shrubs. Best in humus-rich, well-drained soil in partial shade, they make excellent companions for ferns and other shade-loving plants. - Garden care: Plant tubers with the rounded (usually smooth) side down, shallowly in humus-rich, fertile soil. Apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted leaf mould around the crown of the plants in spring as the foliage starts to die back.
- Humans/Pets: Ornamental bulbs - not to be eaten