CYCLAMEN GRAECUM

Description

Rosettes of superbly marked and marbled leaves surround bunches of rose-petalled flowers, blotched at the base and veined in red. Autumn flowering Cyclamen graecum is a very variable species with a wild distribution which includes the southern parts of the mainland of Greece and the south coast of Turkey, and part of the north of Cyprus. In cultivation, some forms of the plant will stand significant frost particularly if the tuber is deeply planted. There is also evidence that flowering is encouraged if the plant receives a degree of baking in the summer, as long as there is a little moisture at the end of the roots.

Sowing Advice

Seeds should be sown at any time, and as soon as possible after you have received them. Sow the seeds thinly onto a gritty, loamy compost and cover about 6mm or 1/4 inch deep as light can inhibit germination. Keep at between 10 and 15 degrees C. Germination can take from one to twelve months and is generally erratic, a strategy that has evolved to protect the strain in the wild. Pot on into a low-organic content compost.

Key Facts