| Are cyclamen very delicate? What type of sun or shade do they need and is it an annual, perennial, or what? |
| In most parts of the country, cyclamen are considered houseplants. In your mild climate, however, they can be grown outdoors as bedding plants. They are not frost-hardy, and cold weather can kill them. Cyclamen are native to Europe and Asia, and are grown for their pretty flowers which emerge on tall stems produced in the clump of basal leaves. They will grow in full sun or partial shade, in rich, well-draining soil. Cyclamen are tuberous perennials, but they need an annual resting period and will usually lose all their leaves at the end of the summer flowering season. When this happens, cut back all of the dead foliage and reduce watering. After the tubers have rested enough they'll produce new growth and begin the flowering process all over again. You can collect seed and start new plants but most will take 12-18 months to begin blooming. |
