Every year, right around September, cyclamens start popping up everywhere in garden centers and flower shops. These little beauties are a total winter staple, and if you treat them right, they’ll keep pushing out fresh blooms from fall all the way into spring.
When Do Cyclamens Bloom?
There are actually quite a few different varieties of cyclamen, and they generally fall into four main groups. Depending on which one you pick, you can have color in your home or garden almost year-round:
- Spring Cyclamen: Blooms from February/March through April
- Summer Cyclamen: Blooms from July/August through September
- Fall Cyclamen: Blooms from October through February
- Florist’s Cyclamen (Indoor): Blooms from October through April
Of course, getting those gorgeous flowers depends on two things: picking the right spot and keeping up with a little TLC.
Finding the Perfect Spot
The “where” depends entirely on whether you’re planting them in your flower beds or keeping them as houseplants.
Outdoor Cyclamens
Spring, summer, and fall varieties are surprisingly hardy! They just need a light mulch of leaves or brush to protect them during the coldest months. Their happy place is bright partial shade, tucked under perennials or hedges. To keep the humidity levels just right, you can even bury a small bowl of water nearby. They love soil that is rich in organic matter, slightly moist, and well-draining—standing water is a big no-no.
Make sure they stay hydrated during their blooming season. If they’re in the ground, you don’t really need to worry about fertilizer. However, if you have them in outdoor pots, give them some liquid fertilizer every two weeks until you see the first buds open, then stop feeding.
Indoor (Florist’s) Cyclamens
These are pretty low-maintenance houseplants, but they have one big rule: they hate being hot. To keep them blooming until spring, you need a cool spot—ideally between 50°F and 60°F (10-15°C). A cozy living room with dry heat from the furnace is the quickest way to kill a cyclamen. It’ll wilt and look sad in no time.
Instead, look for a bright, cool room away from direct sunlight. Think drafty entryways, bedrooms, kitchens, or a guest bathroom that isn’t steamed up all day. They also love humidity, so using a humidifier or a pebble tray with water is a great idea. Any high-quality, well-draining potting soil will do the trick.
If you nail the environment, your indoor cyclamen will keep blooming until April. After that, the plant will want to take a nap. During this dormant phase, cut back on the water and stop fertilizing until it’s ready to wake up again!
