A woodland species, which is generally hardy to at least -5°C. The leaves can be plain green but the best forms have well defined silver hastate markings with undulating pointed edges. The flowers, in various shades of pink or white appear in April and May and look especially nice planted among wild primroses. The petals are slender and elegantly twisted and some forms are sweetly scented. The plants need plenty of cool shade, and a sheltered wooded area or similar will give the best results. Flowering size tubers are quite small and should be planted 9cm deep (3½ ins) out-of-doors, or half-way down a suitable sized pot if grown in the alpine house. Keep shaded during March and April.

Position in the Garden: In the open garden, cyclamen prefer a position which is slightly shaded in summer, and moist during autumn through to late spring. An ideal site can be found around the base of mature shrubs and trees, but they also do well along north-facing walls, in stone troughs and in the rock garden. They look superb when planted beneath silver birch trees. Above all, the site must be well drained and the addition of copious quantities of shredded leaf mould will create a perfect medium in which to grow your cyclamen.

Maintenance: Very little cultivation is needed to maintain a good collection of cyclamen in the garden. Once established, hardy cyclamen should be left undisturbed for many years and they will just keep getting better.  Cyclamen benefit from a top dressing of leaf mould and grit during the dormant season. Very little fertiliser of any kind is required, but do remember that most cyclamen are dormant during the summer, so be careful with the hoe!

Alpine House cultivation: All cyclamen are suitable for alpine house cultivation, especially the more tender species. The alpine house should receive maximum light, but will require shading in summer. Good air circulation is crucial and extra vents are a must. We advise growing this cyclamen in clay pans using a suitable compost. This may be made up by mixing two parts (by bulk) of John Innes compost No2, one part of Perlite and one part of shredded leaf mould. Top dress all tubers with a layer of grit. Give just enough heat to exclude frost in very cold weather. Otherwise, plunging your pots in sand or covering with horticultural fleece during very cold spells will give an amazing amount of extra protection.

Available for delivery in the following locations:

United Kingdom (England, Wales, Mainland Scotland, Scottish Islands, Scottish Highlands, Isle of Wight, Northern Ireland, Isles of Scilly)