I saw a reference book in the bookstore an hour ago, and it claimed
that cyclamen is winter hardy to zone 3, which in my part of Canada
extends rather far north of where I am. I thought cyclamen were
delicate plants that wouldn't have a chance in a Canadian winter.
They certainly look delicate and tender to me. Was I mistaken? The
author claimed that it is a plant that is very hard to kill.

Cheers,

Ted

In article ,
(Ted Byers) wrote:

I saw a reference book in the bookstore an hour ago, and it claimed
that cyclamen is winter hardy to zone 3, which in my part of Canada
extends rather far north of where I am. I thought cyclamen were
delicate plants that wouldn't have a chance in a Canadian winter.
They certainly look delicate and tender to me. Was I mistaken? The
author claimed that it is a plant that is very hard to kill.

Cheers,

Ted

Coincidentally I just today posted a long thing on hardy cyclamens, under
the subject header "Cyclamen Notes" which lists the hardiest ones. In Zone
3, I suppose you might be restricted to C. hederifolium. It'll live a
century & even if winters drop to minus 20 degrees F., Cyclamen
hederofolium will chug along happy as snow monkeys. Where winter
temperatures rarely drop to zero F., several other species are suitable, &
especially Cylamen coum. I love love love love cyclamens. The rumor that
they're difficult is due to the "florist cyclamens" (fancy cultivars of C.
persicum). These almost always drop dead shortly after being given to
terminally ill relatives as stupid gaudy presents. But to blame all
cyclamens for that is unfair to the hardy species.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/

Ted Byers wrote:



1) How do I tell if the cyclamen I see at a garden centre is
C.hederofolium? Although I live in zone 5, temperatures of minus 25 F
were much more common than temperatures around 0 F this year, so I
assume from what you wrote that C. hederofolium is my only option
outside. I gather, from your website, that it will thrive in shade,
but is that a requirement? Would it do OK, for example, planted in
the mottled shade it'd get placed among irises and lilies? And what
lind of soil? Sand? Clay? Somethng in between?

2) I am not sure I'd give up on C. persicum just yet. After all, they
are quite pretty. What is the trick to getting them to thrive?

1. First, they should be properly labeled as to their species!! (See rant thread
on nursery labels) C. hederifolium are called that because their foliage
resembles that of ivy (Hedera) - typically triangular to heart-shaped and
heavily mottled, although very variable in form and coloring. They bloom in the
fall. What is most likely on sale in nurseries now is C coum, the late
winter/early spring blooming species.

2. A cool situation and birght, but indirect light. Keep them evenly moist and,
like African violets, they prefer to take up their moisture from the roots, so
set pots in a shallow dish of water to irrigate, rather than watering at the
crown (causes rot and fungal problems). These florist cyclamen are really much
hardier than many people think. In mild winter areas, they are perfectly viable
out of doors in a protected area. I use them regularly to grace winter container
plantings by my front door. They last from November to their just recent
replacement with primulas.

pam - gardengal

2) I am not sure I'd give up on C. persicum just yet. After all, they
are quite pretty. What is the trick to getting them to thrive?

Cheers,

Ted

Cyclamen is one of the most curious flowers I've ever 'met'. C.
persicum is a real survivor/rebounder, but I've never given it much
attention, and abandoned one in somewhat uncertain care to see it
flower in spite. This plant is three years old, the tuber is
completely exposed, and it's not been repotted, has suffered mealy
bugs, aphids, and unnatural weekend dryness and heat. As a plant it's
just awesome, for all that, as C. persicum, this plant is laughably
not at it's best, but flowers right now and I love it.

Not having grown one perfectly I'm unsure how much light is too much.
Yet C. persicum needs cool temps, (i've heard repeated) and anything
above 65f. is uncomfortable.

C.hederifolium seems untouched by this awful winter, and is happily
lush among cedar needles. Just planted it in late August, but it
didn't bloom. One tuber failed..

TK

I saw a reference book in the bookstore an hour ago, and it claimed
that cyclamen is winter hardy to zone 3

I don't know about zone 3, but I grow them here in zone 4/5. Many species of
hardy cyclamen are hardy to -10 to -20 degrees:
Cyclamen coum, Cyclamen hederifolium,
Cyclamen pseudibericum, Cyclamen purpurascens. They come in shades of white,
pink, and lavender. Some bloom in spring, but most in late summer to early
fall.
sed5555

In article ,
(Sed5555) wrote:

I saw a reference book in the bookstore an hour ago, and it claimed
that cyclamen is winter hardy to zone 3

I don't know about zone 3, but I grow them here in zone 4/5. Many species of
hardy cyclamen are hardy to -10 to -20 degrees:
Cyclamen coum, Cyclamen hederifolium,
Cyclamen pseudibericum, Cyclamen purpurascens. They come in shades of white,
pink, and lavender. Some bloom in spring, but most in late summer to early
fall.
sed5555

Interesting. Here they majority are winter-bloomers. I'd wondered when
would be their bloom time in vastly colder zones; Grey-Wilson speaks of
the super cold-hardiness especially of C. hederifolium, but doesn't ammend
his British bloom time assessments for the colder zones. Here in Zone 8,
C. coum sometimes blooms twice so it's autumn AND late winter. C.
hederofolium is Aug-Nov but especially in September, most of the others at
some point between December through March, strongest Feb-March, with
leaves throughout spring & MAYBE into part of summer if protected, but by
high summer they're all 'em totally gone, not a hint they're there (except
for that bright red small-bloom C. persicum which last year bloomed May
all through summer, though they're not supposed to; I'm waiting to see if
it follows that incorrect schedule this year too). I was looking at an
Ausy website & gosh were those bloom times wrong; it must be annoying to
Aussy gardeners to sometimes have to rely on books from the northern
hemisphere.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/

"Sed5555" wrote in message
...
I saw a reference book in the bookstore an hour ago, and it claimed
that cyclamen is winter hardy to zone 3

I don't know about zone 3, but I grow them here in zone 4/5. Many species
of
hardy cyclamen are hardy to -10 to -20 degrees:
Cyclamen coum, Cyclamen hederifolium,
Cyclamen pseudibericum, Cyclamen purpurascens. They come in shades of
white,
pink, and lavender. Some bloom in spring, but most in late summer to early
fall.
sed5555

I had a cyclamen survive in northern MN (zone 3) for 4-5 years by planting
it on the east side of the house near the foundation and covering it with an
18" layer of red pine needles in early November before the ground froze. I
threw a piece of plastic on top of the pine needles to keep them from
getting wet and took everything off as soon as soon as the temperatures
started getting and staying above freezing during the day, which was usually
the end of March. It froze out the first winter I didn't cover it. Maybe
that's more work than it's worth.

John

(paghat) expounded:

Interesting. Here they majority are winter-bloomers. I'd wondered when
would be their bloom time in vastly colder zones; Grey-Wilson speaks of
the super cold-hardiness especially of C. hederifolium, but doesn't ammend
his British bloom time assessments for the colder zones. Here in Zone 8,
C. coum sometimes blooms twice so it's autumn AND late winter.

I've got a variety of hardy cyclamen out there, and they're in bloom
from October til the hard freeze, and then again during warm spells in
January and February. No blooms out there this year, they've been
under snowcover now since mid-January. They've been out there for at
least 15 years' I've got seedlings coming up in the lawn next to their
site all the time that I move into new areas.

--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
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