7 Cyclamen Care Mistakes to Avoid This Year

The cyclamen’s ability to produce colorful flowers in the late fall and winter makes it an attractive option for many houseplant lovers. However, these plants can become yellow, flowerless, or dead if you provide poor care. Join farmer Briana Yablonski to learn seven common cyclamen care mistakes to avoid.

Written by Briana Yablonski Horticulture review by Sarah Jay Last updated: December 18, 2024 | 5 min read

Bright pink blooms with upward-curving petals, edged with light pink, above dark green heart-shaped leaves.

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When we think of winter, flowers aren’t always the first thing that comes to mind. However, growing houseplants like cyclamen can add vibrant blooms to your home throughout the colder months. With their heart-shaped leaves and delicate, upturned blooms, cyclamen add a touch of elegance to any space, complementing other seasonal favorites like poinsettias and Christmas cacti.

While cyclamen aren’t difficult to care for, newcomers often make a few common mistakes. If you’re already familiar with houseplant care, you might avoid issues like overwatering and improper lighting. However, growers must possess specific knowledge, like knowing how to select the right species and plant the tubers at the proper depth. Understanding these nuances can make all the difference in keeping your cyclamen healthy and blooming beautifully.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through seven common mistakes and how to avoid them, ensuring your cyclamen thrive throughout winter.

Choosing the Wrong Variety

Multiple pots with pink blossoms and silver-speckled green leaves, arranged in neat rows. — The Persian species is the one that people most commonly grow indoors.

Although all members of the Cyclamen genus share a few characteristics, you can find a wide variety of plants within this group. Not only do these species look different, but they also require different environments and care.

If you plan to grow indoors and hope to enjoy beautiful flowers, it’s important to choose a species that can handle warmer temperatures. Some cyclamen varieties like cold temperatures, so the indoor warmth makes them unhappy and unable to bloom.

Fortunately, many of these species thrive as houseplants. The Persian cyclamen (Cyclamen periscum) is the species that people most commonly grow indoors. If you see greenhouses or nurseries selling these as houseplants, they’re likely the Persian species. Not only do they tolerate warm temperatures—they also require it. Happiest in zones nine and above, this species is known for its heart-shaped leaves and colorful blooms.

Planting Too Deep

Dark green heart-shaped leaves with silver patterns, lightly wet, showing red stems at the base. — Planting too deep can inhibit flowering.

If you purchase a cyclamen that’s already blooming, you don’t have to worry that somebody planted it too deep. However, if you are purchasing tubers or saving them from year to year, you must plant these storage tissues at the proper depth. Planting too deep can inhibit flowering.

The round tubers look like small beets with flat bottoms. Although it can sometimes be difficult to tell the top of the tuber from the bottom, the bottom will have a cluster of stringy roots, and the top will have small sprouts. Place the tubers one to two inches under the soil with the top facing up.

Overwatering

A collection of house plants placed by the window, with one being watered. — You can topwater while carefully keeping the water away from the top of the crown.

If you are growing your cyclamen as a potted houseplant, it’s up to provide the plant with all the moisture it needs. However, adding too much water can cause just as many problems as not enough water. Overwatering is also a more common problem and more difficult to remedy.

Adding too much water can lead to symptoms like yellow and drooping leaves. If the soil remains constantly moist, it may develop root rot, and the entire tuber may rot away.

Although cyclamen like their soil moist during the fall and winter months, you should still allow it to dry out some between waterings. If you’re not sure when to water, stick your finger into the soil near the base. If the top inch is dry, go ahead and water. However, wait to water if the soil feels wet an inch down.

When you water, aim to keep the crown dry. One option is to bottom water by placing the container in an inch of water for about an hour. The water will rise through the soil and into the root zone. You can also topwater while carefully keeping the water away from the top of the crown.

Not Providing Enough Light

A potted plant with dark pink flowers surrounded by green foliage, placed by the window. — Any spot that is bright yet out of direct light is ideal.

If your plant has experienced cold temperatures but is lacking flowers, it may need more light. Cyclamen like to be kept in an area with lots of bright yet indirect light, and it is a common mistake to grow them in too much shade. If you place them in a dim corner or near a north-facing window, they probably aren’t receiving enough light.

So, what locations are ideal? Any spot that is bright yet out of direct light. While you want to keep these plants off the windowsill of a south-facing window, they’re happy a few feet away from the same window or behind a sheer curtain. You can also try placing them near a west-facing window or in the interior of a room with many windows.

Providing Too Hot or Too Cold of an Environment

Deep pink blooms with tall, slender stems in a terracotta pot, surrounded by green and yellowing leaves. — If temperatures remain warm, the leaves may turn yellow and fall.

Compared to other houseplants, cyclamen prefer cooler temperatures. Keeping the air between 50-70°F (10-21°C) is ideal, so there’s no harm in keeping them in a cooler part of your home.

If the air remains above 70°F (21°C) for more than a few days, the plants may think it’s time to enter dormancy. When this happens, they cease growing and fail to flower. If temperatures remain warm, the leaves may turn yellow and fall from the plant.

Although these plants can tolerate cooler air, they don’t like it when temperatures drop below 40°F (4°C). Therefore, you should make sure to bring outdoor plants inside before cold winter temperatures arrive.

Not Recognizing Dormant Plants

Pink and white blossoms on long stems with dark green leaves, placed on a windowsill indoors. — After the plant’s blooms fall from the plant, it will begin to transition to a dormant state.

Cyclamen plants are extremely in tune with the temperature and day length. Fall and winter’s cold and shorter days encourage these plants to bloom. While many people think the plants are dead after flowering, you can save the plants and watch them bloom the following winter.

If you want to keep your plant year-round, it’s important to know that it goes dormant in the summer. After the plant’s blooms fall from the plant, it will begin to transition to a dormant state. Therefore, there’s no need to worry if you notice yellowing or dropping leaves in the fall. However, you should decrease the amount of water you apply.

Once the foliage has completely died back, remove it from the plant with your hands. At this point, you can either dig and store the tubers in a cool, dry location or leave them in the soil. If you keep them potted, make sure to keep the soil dry for about two months while the plant is dormant.

In the middle to end of summer, either plant the tubers in a new container or water the potted tubers to encourage new growth. Keep it in a warm area (65-80°F or 18-27°C) during the summer, then move it to a cooler location (55-65°F or 13-18°C) in the fall to induce flowering.

Keeping the Air Dry

A small humidifier sits on a wooden table beside flowering plants in various shades of pink and white. The thick, glossy green leaves of the plants are surrounded by the mist from the humidifier, keeping the air moist. — Another option is to use a humidifier to boost the air moisture during the dry winter.

Although these houseplants aren’t native to tropical regions, they still prefer moist air. These plants can suffer from dry air, especially in the winter. If you notice your skin and lips are cracked and dry, your plant is likely suffering as well.

Since these plants don’t mind cooler temperatures, there’s no harm in placing them in damp rooms that are in the 60s (~16°C). If you have a sunroom that’s removed from your home’s central heat vents or woodburning stove, it could be a great place for your cyclamen to spend the winter.

Another option is to use a humidifier to boost the air moisture during the dry winter. Since most houseplants prefer moderate to high humidity, adding a humidifier will also keep your other plants happy. If you don’t want to invest in a humidifier, you can also place your pot near a tray filled with water and pebbles. However, note that pebble trays won’t dramatically increase the humidity, and they require replenishment.