"Nick Maclaren" wrote

Hang on. WHICH cyclamen? He could well be talking about C. persicum,
which might survive outside where you are but wouldn't have an earthly
here. C. coum does fine, in the rain shadow of a tree or house, and
C. hederifolium might well, too.

You're quite correct in pointing that out. In my innocence I assumed he meant C. coum but as you and others have pointed
out if he bought from outside a greengrocer's or from yer average garden centre it was very probably one of the
miniature F1 hybrid series of C persicum allegedly hardy but which are not hardy except in abnormal winters like this
last one and then only in favoured areas. I do wonder what makes the growers produce these things - it certainly isn't
money, I've seen them offered by the greengrocer for as little as 50p - how much does the grower get out of it I wonder?
I just hope unfortunate experiences with the imposters don't scare people away from the real ones.

Rod