Eastern cyclamen

A beautiful little plant for the winter garden, Cyclamen coum is a small, deciduous, summer-dormant tuberous perennial, originally from the Caucasus. The kidney-shaped leaves are deep green, marbled with silver on the upper surface and veined crimson beneath; the leaf stalks are also crimson. The exquisite little ‘windmill’ flowers, 2cm wide, are usually pink with a crimson blotch at the throat, but also come in white or magenta; these appear from late winter to early to mid-spring. Lovely under-planting small shrubs and trees, naturalised in grass or as companions to hellebores, snowdrops and evergreen ferns. Eastern cyclamen holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Site: Sheltered
Soil: Any well-drained soil, preferably humus-rich
Season: Flowers from January to April
Position: Partial shade
Hardiness: Hardy
Height: up to 4” (10cm) Spread: 4”’ (10cm)