Cyclamen hederifolium White

Hardy autumn-flowering cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium f. albiflorum)

When most of the garden is winding down, this charming little cyclamen is just getting started. From late summer into autumn, dainty pure white flowers rise from bare ground, followed by marbled, ivy-shaped leaves that carpet the soil right through winter. It’s fully hardy, long-lived and very easy to grow. It’s one of the best plants for brightening the dry, shady corners under trees where little else will grow.

At a Glance

• Flower colour: Pure white

• Flowering time: August to October, sometimes into November

• Foliage: Silver and green marbled leaves from autumn to late spring

• Height: 10–15cm

• Spread: 15–25cm, increasing over the years

• Position: Partial or dappled shade

• Soil: Any well-drained soil, including chalk

• Hardiness: Fully hardy (RHS H5)

• Ideal for: Under trees and shrubs, woodland gardens, rockeries, borders and containers

The Flowers

Each flower is around 2cm long, with five slender petals swept elegantly backwards like tiny shuttlecocks. Small “ears” at the base of each petal are a tell-tale feature of this species. The flowers often appear before the leaves, so they seem to spring straight out of the bare earth. Many plants have a light, sweet scent, which you’ll notice most when they’re grown in a drift or in a raised pot.

The Foliage

The leaves are just as much of a feature as the flowers. They’re shaped like ivy leaves, which is where the name hederifolium (“ivy-leaved”) comes from. Each one is patterned in silver, grey and green, and no two plants are quite alike. They form a handsome ground cover all winter, then yellow and die back in late spring or early summer while the plant rests. This is entirely natural, so don’t worry when it happens.

Where to Grow

In the wild, this cyclamen grows in the woodlands and rocky hillsides of southern Europe and Turkey. That makes it perfect for planting beneath deciduous trees and shrubs. It gets plenty of light in autumn and winter after the canopy has dropped its leaves, and it’s happy with the shade and dryness of summer because it’s dormant then. Once established, it copes well with dry shade and competition from tree roots.

It also works well:

• At the foot of hedges and shrubs

• In rockeries and raised beds

• Along the edges of shady borders and paths

• In pots and shallow containers

Avoid anywhere that stays wet or waterlogged, as the tubers can rot.

Planting

Pot-grown plants can be planted at any time of year when the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged. Late summer to autumn, when they’re in active growth, is ideal.

1. Prepare the soil. Fork in some leaf mould or well-rotted compost. On heavy clay, add grit to improve drainage.

2. Plant at the right depth. Set pot-grown plants at the same level they were in the pot. If you’re planting tubers, keep them shallow. Unlike most bulbs, this cyclamen roots from the top and sides of the tuber, so cover it with only 2–3cm of soil. Place the rounded side down and the flatter, slightly hollow side facing up.

3. Space them out. Allow 15–20cm between plants. Groups of five or more look especially effective.

4. Water in well, then leave them to settle.

Always buy cyclamen from cultivated stock, never wild-collected tubers.

Growing in Containers

Choose a shallow pot with good drainage holes. Fill it with gritty compost, such as peat-free multipurpose compost mixed with about a third grit. Water regularly while the plant is in leaf, but sparingly over summer: keep the compost barely moist rather than bone dry. Stand pots on feet over winter so excess water can drain away.

Care and Maintenance

• Watering: Plants in the ground rarely need watering once established. Give them a drink in a prolonged dry spell in early autumn, when they’re flowering and coming into leaf.

• Mulching: Spread a thin layer of leaf mould each summer while the plants are dormant. It recreates the woodland floor they love.

• Feeding: Not essential, though a light sprinkle of general fertiliser in autumn will do no harm.

• Summer rest: Mark where your plants are so you don’t dig into the tubers by accident while they’re out of sight.

Naturalising and Self-Seeding

After flowering, the stems coil down like springs and pull the seed pods to ground level. The seeds ripen the following summer and have a sticky, sugary coating that ants love. The ants carry them around the garden, so new seedlings pop up in unexpected places. Over the years, a few plants can become a beautiful carpet. White forms come largely true from seed, especially if they’re grown away from pink varieties.

The tubers grow larger every year and can live for decades. A mature plant can produce dozens of flowers each autumn.

Pests and Problems

Cyclamen are generally trouble-free. In pots, check for vine weevil grubs in the compost. Squirrels and mice occasionally dig up newly planted tubers, so a piece of wire mesh over the planting area helps until the plants are established.

Planting Partners

• Cyclamen coum flowers from midwinter to early spring and enjoys the same conditions, giving you cyclamen flowers for much of the year

• Pink Cyclamen hederifolium makes a lovely mix with the white form

• Snowdrops for late winter interest

• Hellebores and ferns for structure in shady spots

• Black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’), against which the white flowers really glow

Good to Know

• Not a houseplant: This is a completely different plant from the large florist’s cyclamen sold indoors in winter, which are tender.

• Toxic if eaten: All parts, especially the tubers, are harmful if eaten, so keep away from pets that like to dig.

• Wildlife: The flowers provide a late source of nectar and pollen for bees on mild autumn days.