Topic: Cyclamen

[Robert_Brenchley]

These are some of my Cyclamen hederifolium (I've had this camera a month and I'm just getting the hang of it) with the odd weed and some blackcurrants in the background. The bottom pic is some germinating seeds; they sit in the pods for months and months, then germinate just at flowering time the following year.

[undercarriage plan]

They're beautiful, Robert, one of my favourist flowers. Just bought 6 same variety by looks of them! Scent is lovely too, trying to decide where to plant them at min. Lottie :) 

[Palustris]

Nice Robert, must photo some of mine. Seed weeds thet are too!
Sorry Lottie, but if they are scented flowers then they are not C. hederifolium.

[montanum]

I love the autumn Cyclamen hederifolium but they can seed around a bit too well. I am growing them amongst dwarf Rhododendrons and when I came to interplant with perennials I found I could'nt get the spade in the ground for Cyclamen corms as they had covered the whole suface area so had to do some severe thinning out first. This is not a strong complaint as they are too useful as well as beautiful for that so just keep them in check.
                              Montanum.

[undercarriage plan]

Oh! Nevermind! Still lovely! What are they then, Eric? Thought autumn ones were hederifolium? Thanks! Lottie  ;D

[Palustris]

Mother and babies are doing well.

Each leaf you can see is a baby cyclamen!

[Palustris]

Transplant eventually or weed out and dispose of!

[ACE]

If you want the self seeders make sure there are no ants. The seed has a sugar type coating that the ants are fond of.

[montanum]

Yes the seeds do have a coating that the ants like and that is how the plant is spread around just like the wind blowing seed or a seed pod exploding and spreading it's contents around.
                       Montanum

[ACE]

I though the ants were killing them and it was me all the time killing the ants. bugger!

[Rosa_Mundi]

Mine seem to seed happily in very dark spots and relatively shallow soil. Unfortunately, I forget where they are and plonk pots onto the "empty" spots in summer - only to have to remove them when I spot the flowers fighting their way up from underneath! ::)

[kentishchloe]

Nice Robert, must photo some of mine. Seed weeds thet are too!
Sorry Lottie, but if they are scented flowers then they are not C. hederifolium.
[/quote

I didn't think C hederifolium were scented either but have just discovered that a few of the pinker-flowered ones have a very delicate cyclameny scent (like a more pleasant version of the whiff that the large houseplant types emit) I am fairly sure mine are C. hed. though as they came from Cambridge Alpines via RHS Wisley. 

Lottie - the well-known strongly scented miniature cyclamen is C. purpurescens which has very pink flowers from June-autumn. pretty rare though.

[Mrs Ava]

I have a scattering under my lonicera in the garden all in bloom now, and a tray full of seedlings (thanks Eric) which will go out next year.  They can spread themselves around my garden at will, I for one will not complain!  ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

If you do have the true C purpurescens, kentishchloe, that's interesting; it's often been said to be a synonym of C. hederifolium but I notice the species is on sale, at a price, from rareplants.co.uk, so it's worth looking into. Any chance of a pic?

[Palustris]

Robert, if you are as interested in Cyclamen as you sound to be, have you considered join the Cyclamen Society? It is not that expensive and seeds of all species and many of the varieties are available to members.
I have C. purpurascens somewhere in the garden, but whilst it survives it does not really seem to set any seed.
I have to say I have never been able to discern any scent in C. hederifolium. mind if I got down to smell my plants I would probably never manage to get back up again. ;D

[aquilegia]

Aren't they gorgeous? My neighbour has some in the front garden, which is utterly neglected. I shall have to do a bit of seed stealing!

I have some indoor ones in pots - I haven't watered them all summer - when should I start again?

[Palustris]

Now!

[aquilegia]

righto - thanks

[kentishchloe]

sorry robert - i haven't got any c. purp... yet. have just ordered some seed though (bit of a coup actually, got them as my free pack from T & M, only spent £3 but they're worth £5!)
  the last time i saw them was in the alpine house at RHS wisley and they were stunning. v similar to c. hed but flowers a deeper shade of pink and glorious scent.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I hadn't thought of the Cyclamen Society, but it might be a good idea. They used to fascinate me when I saw them in the Oxford Botanic Gardens I was a kid, and I've liked them ever since.