Cyclamen year-round
Cyclamen are beautiful bloomers indoors or out—and their dark, variegated, & patterned foliage creates a dramatic look! Find out more about these unique home and garden plants, including how to care for yours, below:
Cyclamen — Indoors and Outside
Can cyclamen be kept outside and in the house? What's the difference between indoor and outdoor cyclamen?
We're glad you asked! Indoor cyclamen (or 'florist cyclamen') is not winter hardy, and needs to stay inside to grow and bloom. You can keep it out in the sun during the very warm months of the year, but as soon as nights turn cool it needs to move back inside.
Outdoor cyclamen(or 'hardy cyclamen') generally needs to stay outside to keep healthy and bloom. You can bring it inside as a show-piece for a month or so, if you keep your house some-what cool, but it really does not like the warmer temperatures for long and won't thrive.
How long will my cyclamen live for?
Cyclamen are perennials, which mean they grow all year long and won't die off like annuals. This means you can potentially keep a cyclamen for years and years—even pass it on to other family members as an heirloom plant— with the right care.
How do I care for my indoor cyclamen and keep it blooming?
Like all plants, cyclamen have a cycle they go through—which means they won't bloom all the time. And that's ok, because blooming takes a lot of work and energy from the plant! It needs time to grow strong leaves, not just showy flowers. Cyclamen often bloom for six to eight weeks at a time during the winter season. This is why you'll find cyclamen offered as a Christmas plant. In order to get your cyclamen to rebloom, cut off the spent flowers and any dead leaves, then, after it finishes blooming, reduce the watering schedule and keep it in a cool place. This allows it to regain energy as it goes dormant and rebloom the next year. It may look like it's dying but it could just be going dormant.
Watering your indoor cyclamen : When your cyclamen is blooming, keep the soil consistently moist. Once it enters its dormant period, let the soil dry out between waterings so it doesn't get root-rot. You can fertilize your cyclamen when it is blooming as well, but cut back when it stops.
Light for your indoor cyclamen : Keep your cyclamen in bright, indirect sunlight.
Pot up your indoor or outdoor cyclamen in beautiful pots to display them! Single plants look great in 4" pots, or you can create a blooming garden in a large planter with multiple plants grouped together.
These perennials grow well with other plants like moss or ferns. You can even find different varieties, such as ruffled cyclemen, for a fancier look!
Caring for Your Outdoor Cyclamen
Outdoor cyclamen like shade to partially shady spots in the garden. They grow best in very well-draining soil and hate to sit in soggy spots. Keep the soil moist during their growing season (fall and winter) and then let it dry out between waterings in the spring and summer. Your hardy cyclamen will grow fine in the winter months, even with snow, and that is also when they bloom. These plants can grow well in pots on the patio or balcony as well.
