Indoor Cyclamen Plant Care

Cyclamen flowers are pink, purple, white or red.

Cyclamen is a winter-flowering perennial plant that grows from a tuber. It has gray-green, mottled leaves and butterfly-like flowers that bloom indoors when specific cultural requirements are met.

Temperature

The key to long-lived cyclamen blooms indoors is cool temperatures. According to the University of Missouri Extension, night temperatures of 50 degrees Fahrenheit are ideal, but 60 degrees Fahrenheit is adequate. Daytime temperatures should not exceed 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lighting

Provide cyclamen with bright, indirect light. An eastern or southern window is ideal.

Watering

Keep cyclamen soil wet but not soggy. Iowa State University Extension recommends irrigating with warm water when the soil surface has dried. They also advise against watering the corm directly, as it is susceptible to rot.

Reblooming

Getting cyclamen to re-flower is difficult but not impossible. Once blooming stops in the spring, gradually withhold water as the foliage yellows. When the foliage is dead, the plant is dormant. Stop watering and put the cyclamen in a cool, dim location for approximately eight weeks. In mid-summer, place the cyclamen in a cool, well-lit location. Resume watering and fertilize with a well-balanced fertilizer. The plant should bud up by mid-winter.

References

• Iowa State University Extension: Cyclamen
• University of Missouri Extension: Care of Flowering Potted Plants (Cyclamen)
• North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension: Indoor Gardening for Holiday Color
• "Sunset Western Garden Book"; Brenzel, 2001

Resources

• Michigan State University Extension: Cyclamen Insect Problems-Indoors