Indoor Cyclamen Care Guide to Beautiful Flowers

With the right care, cyclamen plants can be grown indoors. They can flower for months, and re-bloom year after year!

To keep your plant healthy, provide bright, indirect light, keep the soil consistently moist but avoid overwatering, and maintain a cool, well-ventilated environment.

There are more than 20 cyclamen species and many more hybrids. The plant we know as the potted houseplant is the so-called florist’s cyclamen, a cultivar of the Cyclamen persicum.

Cyclamen Plant

The native habitat of the Cyclamen persicum is in cool regions of the Mediterranean. They are so-called geophyte plants, meaning they grow from a tuber just below the soil surface (somewhat similar to a potato) which stores water and nutrients.

The florist cyclamen has been cultivated and hybridized for over 100 years. Now available in a wide range of white, pink, red, and purple flowers. Some are ruffled, bi-colored, or streaked. The graceful flowers grow high above the foliage, looking like floating butterflies.

The name Cyclamen comes from the Greek word kyklos, meaning “circle”, which describes the plant’s round tuber, or corm, that it grows from. Cyclamen persicum plants are also known as sowbread and Persian cyclamen.

Already back in the Victorian era, the cyclamen was a popular plant to grow around the house. They are currently enjoying a resurgence as a colorful winter-blooming houseplant. Unlike many holiday plants that are done within weeks, cyclamen flowers can last for months!

Light

Indoors, cyclamen likes bright, indirect sunlight. A good spot is near an east-facing or north-facing window. Avoid too much direct sun light. Dry, brown spots on the leaves can be a sign of sunburn.

If there is not enough light, the plant will stop producing new leaves, or the leaves will stay smaller. Stems might get leggy, reaching for more light. Consider getting a grow light if you can not give your plant enough natural light.   

Watering

Never let the soil dry out completely when the plant is in bloom. Water regularly when the cyclamen is actively growing and flowering.

When the plant goes dormant over the summer the soil should be kept dry, but not so much that the tuber shrivels. Start watering again in early autumn.

Overwatering is the most common problem so allow the soil to dry slightly in between watering without having the plant wilt. Check the soil frequently and water when the top half layer feels dry to the touch.

The underground tuber stores water inside and too much moisture will rot the tuber. Yellow, drooping leaves can be a sign that the plant is getting too much water.

Too little water is also a problem. The leaves should feel firm. If the leaves feel limp and soft, that means the plant needs water. Keeping the plant too dry for too long can cause yellow, crispy leaves and flower buds to drop.

Keep leaves and the crown as dry as possible when watering. Water on the leaves will cause brown spots. Too much water on the tuber can cause it to rot. So water just around the rim of the pot so no water soaks into the tuber.

To prevent these problems, florist cyclamen are best watered from the bottom. Place the pot in a water-filled bowl, letting it take up water through the drainage holes on the bottom until the soil surface is moist. Allow to drain thoroughly.

If you are uncertain, you can use a moisture meter to help you out with when to water. And read up on the basics of watering your indoor plants. 

Fertilizing

Feed your plant every 2-3 weeks while it is growing leaves with a diluted liquid fertilizer for flowering plants. Fertilizing too often will produce more foliage rather than flowers.

Be sure the soil is damp before fertilizing and don’t fertilize during dormancy.  Newly bought or recently repotted plants don’t need to be fertilized for at least the first 4-6 months. The potting mix usually already has slow-release fertilizer in it.  

Humidity and Temperature

The secret to a thriving cyclamen with long lasting flowers lies in the temperature. Cyclamen can grow in normal room temperatures but will do much better and last longer in steady cool temperatures, especially while in bloom.

Keep the cyclamen in the coolest place you can, away from radiators. Keep it within a temperature range of 50 – 65 degrees.

Not providing these cool temperatures causes most cyclamen problems. If they get too warm, leaves turn yellow and the plant goes dormant.

During the blooming season, keep humidity high around the plant.

Cultivation of mixing Cyclamen persicum with the Cyclamen purpurascens has produced smaller, compact varieties that can handle warmer temperatures. Look for dwarf or miniature cyclamen at the plant store.

Garden centers generally sell a lot of cyclamen during the fall and winter, often as holiday gift plants. But florist cyclamen can be bought nearly all year round. Discover plant growers that sell them on Amazon! 

Cyclamen Flowers

Cyclamen grow beautiful flowers on long flower stalks. Under the right conditions, the blooms can last for months at a time.

You can extend their bloom period by removing spent flowers, and yellow leaves. Firmly hold the stem low to the tuber, then twist and pull them from the base. Remove the entire stem don’t have it break off.

Many people grow cyclamens as annual plants and discard them when they go dormant after flowering. But cyclamen are perennials. If kept cool and cared for properly, they grow back and bloom again the next year.

Dormancy

In spring, when it gets warmer, cyclamen flowers will wilt and leaves go yellow. These are signs that the plant is going dormant.

Don’t do anything drastic thinking you need to save your plant by repotting, extra watering, or fertilizing. You also don’t have to toss the plant out.

Gradually reduce watering in spring and place the plant in a cool spot for a few months where it will remain dry. The underground tuber has stored the necessary moisture and nutrients to get through dormancy. It will start to grow again when cooler weather arrives.

When the cyclamen grows back, move it to bright, indirect light, and begin the watering and fertilizing regime.

Repotting

Repotting can be done every two or three years in slightly acidic, well-draining soil. A potting mix for African violets is a good choice for indoor cyclamen.

It is easiest to wait till the plant is dormant and simply repot the tuber into a slightly larger pot.

Always keep the tuber at or just below the soil level, as burying it too deeply can cause it to rot. The tuber will have an indentation in the middle. Plant with that side upwards.

Need a repotting reminder? Follow the steps on how to repot your plants.

Cyclamen Propagation

Propagate cyclamen plants by dividing the underground tubers. It is easy and has a high success rate. 

Gently dig up the tubers. If there are multiple tubers and you can divide without having to cut through them, that should be the first choice. If needed, make a clean cut through the tuber. Let the cut dry and callus for a few days before putting it in soil.

Pot the tubers in their own container and each individual tuber will grow into a new plant.

Want to learn more about plant propagation? Read the complete guide explaining the 6 different ways to propagate all your plants. 

Plant Pests

Watch out for aphids and spider mites. Regularly inspect your plant for any signs of houseplant pests to detect a possible infestation before it becomes severe.

Another common pest is the Cyclamen mite. It’s too small to see, but if leaves, flowers, or buds are deformed, wrinkled, puckering, and stunted, these mites are likely the cause.

The Cyclamen mite doesn’t only infest the Cyclamen plant. It feeds off many other plants including African violets, Kalanchoe, and Poinsettia.

The tiny Cyclamen mites hide in between the young leaves and tight flower buds. This makes them very difficult to control. This is one infestation I would advise tossing the plant out before it spreads to your other plants.

Is the Cyclamen Toxic to Cats?

The cyclamen plant is considered mildly toxic when ingested. It may cause salivation, vomiting, and diarrhea.

More toxic are the underground tubers. Ingestion of large quantities can cause more severe conditions like heart rhythm abnormalities or seizures. Contact your veterinarian or local Animal Poison Control Center asap.

Although it is uncommon for pets to get seriously hurt from eating plants, keep this one out of reach of children and pets. 

Read more: Keeping Your Pets Safe: Identifying Toxic Plants in Your Home.