Xref: 127.0.0.1 uk.rec.gardening:165358

In article ,
Rodger Whitlock wrote:

Cyclamen coum on Crete? raises eyebrows Not that I disbelieve
you but I am surprised to read this. AFAIK, the locus classicus
for C. coum is the Black Sea coast of Turkey, where they grow,
typically, in among the hazel trees. A "mesic woodland" is
probably not a bad description.

Almost certainly my mistake!

One thing about the genus Cyclamen is that there are two groups
of species differentiated by their ecological preferences. One
group is truly Mediterranean in its tastes, enjoying rather warm,
dry summers and fair amounts of light. Cyclamen graecum is a good
representative of this group. The other group prefers somewhat
shadier, moister conditions. Cyclamen are not absolute
bolshevists about insisting on their ecological preference, being
highly adaptable, but for best results it would seem that the
more closely you can approximate their natural preference, the
better they will do.

Yes. But consider the locations. A dry location in the UK is going
to be comparable to a cool, damp location in Turkey. And, similarly,
near full sun here is little brighter than half shade there. Most
of the postings on this thread have been about half shaded but dry
conditions.

Your point about the years is also good. I notice that mine have
seeded much better in recent years, which I put down to a relatively
long warm wet period (even though they are in near-total rain
shadow). In years when the period from soil warming to drying out
is only a month, and similarly in autumn, the seedlings don't
establish.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679