Cyclamen

I have seen these naturalised under trees and want to get some for my garden. B&Q have them in, various sizes and prices, being sold as outdoor and house plants. All of them though say either 'lasts one season' or 'discard after flowering'.
Is this a ploy to get you back buying more next year, or is there an annual variety of cyclamen?
Also, are cyclamen evergreen?
Thanks for any tips

 

Hi daisybelle .... I just love Cyclamen and have five outdoors (four hybrids and one miniature) in pots in a shady spot which I've had for several years.

Of the small hardy versions, C hederifolium is the easiest to grow and has marbled ivy-shaped leaves that appear after the first flowers and flower between September and November. C coum have round leaves and white, pink or red flowers and bloom January to March. C rapandum which has twisted purple petals blooms April to May and C purpurascens blooms July to September. All of these blooming times would depend on where you are in the UK obviously.

As I said, I am fortunate to be able to grow the hybrids .... the llarge leafed/larged flowered variety outdoors here, but from my memory when I lived there only the small ones are hardy and thrive and multiply in the UK.

As far as what B&Q are selling, it is a mix of both is my guess. You can of course overwinter the hybrids by allowing them to dry out and leave until the Spring (in my case the Autumn).

No, they are not evergreen even with me but they regenerate very quickly when they are ready.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

And if you do decide to buy C. hederifolium et al. then don't waste your money on the dried corms sold in Garden Centres, they are dead. But growing plants from a reputable source.
The ones on sale in B&Q etc. are C. persicum which is tender in Britain.

 

Cyclamen neopolitanum is a small hardy cyclamen that will naturalise almost anywhere.

 

I`ve never had a problem naturalising the Cyclamen that B&Q sell for outdoor use. They do very well under trees in dappled shade.:thumb:

 

Thanks for the replies
The labels implied they'd be OK outside during the winter. Don't think they had a species on them though-typical B&Q eh?!
Think I'll buy a few and see how they fare

 

I am trying to bulid up a carpet under my trees when they do grow be stunning.I just adore cyclamen

 

Just seen a GW on the Sky and on it Titch says that one called heraldifolium(I think that`s what he said) are particularly hardy.

 

Just to put one thing straight, C. neapolitanum is the very old name for C. hederifolioum.
I don't know where Dai lives, but the Cyclamen sold by B&Q (if they are C persicum forms) do not survive outside here over winter, even in our most protected areas. We tried!
Cc. hederifolium and coum are rapidly becoming weeds here, that is how much they spread if they like the garden. Leave them alone and the ants will spread the seeds for you all over the place!

 

I`ll check which variety B&Q are selling here, tomorrow. Pal the Persicum forms are moderately hardy so could it be the site you have tried them in is too wet?

 

:(Does that mean I am very old because I remember the old name?:(