Caring For and Maintaining Your Cyclamen

Cyclamen is a small (6-9"), fragrant plant native to Mediterranean countries. Cyclamen is perennial--it dies back during the summer and early fall, but comes to life for the winter months. It prefers coolish but humid environments. Cyclamen is toxic to both pets and people.

 Sunlight: Bright indirect light

 Water: Water when the top 1" of soil feels dry, but less during its period of dormancy in the summer months. Cyclamen is sensitive to both over-and underwatering, so monitor the soil moisture closely.

 Humidity: Cyclamen loves high humidity environments. Colorado is a dry state with humidity levels much lower than the native environments in which Cyclamen inhabit. To help create a more humid environment for your Cyclamen, consider adding a fine mist humidifier to the room(s) in which you have your Cyclamen. You can also place trays filled with stones and water nearby your Cyclamen to increase local humidity. Misting your Cyclamen with a hand sprayer will also help raise the local humidity level. Although the more humidity the better, a constant relative humidity of 50-55% will promote your Cyclamen’s growth and health.

Temperature: Cyclamen is finicky when it comes to ambient air temperature. The ideal temperature for this houseplant is between 60-65 degrees F (16-18 degrees C) during the day and around 50 degrees F (10 degrees C) at night. High temperatures, beginning just north of 70 degrees F (21 degrees C) will cause leaves to yellow. Temperatures below 40 degrees F ( 4 degrees C) and above 70 degrees F will put the plant in a slow death spiral.

Soil: Use a well-draining potting mix. We recommend either Fertilome or Fox Farm Potting mix.