5 Ways to Encourage Cyclamen Blooms This Season

Cyclamen charms the interior with fluttering blooms in saturated hues. Their colorful display begins when many other plants are resting. To promote blooms and to keep them going for an extended winter show, join gardening expert Katherine Rowe in a few primary care tips.

Written by Katherine Rowe Horticulture review by Sarah Jay Last updated: December 16, 2024 | 5 min read

An eye-catching flowering plant in a beautiful shade of pink, planted in a white pot, set on top a table in a garden.

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Cyclamen, with heart-shaped leaves and fluttering, upswept petals, brighten chilly days in bright red, white, pink, and lavender. They give weeks of color, some even months, depending on the variety. Their unique foliage in marbled silver and dark green is striking all its own. Cyclamen put on a sweet show during the cool season and then enter summer dormancy, where they need the right location but little gardener intervention.

Cyclamen’s hardiness runs the spectrum according to species. Beyond the popular florist species are hardy cyclamen, low-growing perennials that form lovely woodland drifts for a sweep of fall and winter color. It’s often florist cyclamen, though, with larger leaves and flowers in an array of colors, that draws us this time of year to cheer up our interiors.

You can encourage cyclamen blooms right in time for the holidays with these key cultural conditions.

Cyclamen Overview

Freshly planted flowering plants with bright pink flowers and marbled foliage, at the base of a tree. — They have delicate nodding blooms with reflexed petals, rising in a bunch above the deep green leaves.

There are 24 species of cyclamen, and they belong to the primrose (Primulaceae) family. They became popular in 1600s Victorian gardens and conservatories, where greenhouse-grown selections, blooming in winter, brought cheer as gifts and decoration. And they still do—potted florist specimens (C. persicum) remain the top market for cyclamen today.

There are perennial species (C. coum and C. hederifolium, among others), usually hardy in USDA zones 4-5 through 9. These naturalize in the shady garden bed. The showy florist cyclamen is tender, overwintering in warm zones 9 through 11 and growing as a houseplant outside this range. The compact nature of all cyclamen makes them well-suited to container culture.

Cyclamen have delicate nodding blooms with reflexed petals, rising in a bunch above the deep green leaves. The tuberous perennials are native primarily to Mediterranean climate types and alpine woodlands of southern Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia.

In their natural environment, winters are cool and wet, and summers are hot and arid. Their active growing and flowering is in cool weather, with energy conservation in summer. Summer dormancy is a response to warming temperatures and reduced moisture. After recharging over the summer, they reemerge with autumn’s resources to continue growing and flowering (at least, ideally!).

Here are the best conditions to encourage consistent blooms from your cyclamens.

Cool Temperatures

Three beautiful plants with flowers in pretty shades of pink and white, placed on a windowsill. — Place pots in a cool room or near a window to experience lower temperatures.

Cyclamen won’t ask us to mirror alpine slopes or a Mediterranean environment—many hybrids adapt to more wide-ranging conditions—but cool temperatures are important to encourage blooming. For the best and longest-lasting blooms, they’re essential.

Ideal daytime temperatures are between 60-65°F (16-18°C). Nighttime temperatures are best near 50-55°F (13-18°C). Warmer temperatures – 70°F (21°C) or higher – indicate a warming spell and trigger dormancy. Buds and flowers won’t open fully as plants begin to slow. Below 50°F (10°C), too, risks slow development and bud loss. Precise sensitivity depends on the variety, but conditions that are too warm or too cold hinder flowering.

A cool environment also helps the petals hold longer. Place pots in a cool room or near a window to experience lower temperatures. In warm situations, they’ll open and drop more quickly.

Humidity

A collection of different plants, all in pretty shades of pink, placed in gorgeous pots. — To increase humidity, group the cyclamen near other houseplants.

Humidity is another important consideration as we heat our homes in winter. A level of around 50% works well, and while this is average in many households, winter can vary.

Keep pots out of drafts to avoid drying air and drastic changes. Heating and air vents, open windows, space heaters, and fireplaces cause sweeping fluctuations that may inhibit blooming. To increase humidity, group the cyclamen near other houseplants. Or, place its container near a tray of pebbles filled with water.

Balance Water Needs

A collection of house plants placed by the window, with one being watered. — Even watering sustains even flowering.

The woodland growers perform best in evenly moist soils with good drainage. Cyclamen give two handy ways to tell when they’re ready for water. The first is a visual cue: if stems are languid, drooping, or laying flat, it’s likely time to water. The second is by feel. Touch the soil surface to one inch deep (knuckle deep). If it feels dry, give the plant a thorough watering.

Frequency is usually about once a week to ten days, depending on the growing environment. Let soils dry slightly between sessions. Erring on the dry side is safer than overwatering, but don’t allow soil to dry out more than a few inches at most.

Watering inconsistencies are a top cause of losing viable blooms. Overwatering damages roots and leads to their inability to uptake water and nutrients necessary for flowering. Underwatering causes the plant to enter preservation mode, directing any moisture to roots and foliage rather than supporting buds. Even watering sustains even flowering.

How to Water Cyclamen

A person watering pink colored flowers in the middle of rows on potted plants. — Water along the interior rim until water runs through the drainage holes.

With their dense crowns, good air circulation is essential to overall cyclamen health and encourage blooms. Those tightly packed stems, leaves, and blooms are susceptible to fungal diseases like botrytis if they experience oversaturation or remain soggy.

Avoid watering the crown; aim for the perimeter of the pot instead. Water along the interior rim until water runs through the drainage holes. Or, water from the base by placing a tray of water beneath the container. Don’t leave a filled tray to linger beneath the pot after a watering session.

The Best Light

A potted plant with dark pink flowers surrounded by green foliage, placed by the window. — Ample natural light supports the energy needed to flower.

Cyclamen rely on bright, indirect light to flourish. A good situation is near an east-facing window or, in cold climates, a south-facing exposure. Ample natural light supports the energy needed to flower.

Keep the tender leaves and petals out of direct sunlight to prevent burning and dropping. Filter direct rays with a curtain or another plant for dappled light.

Deadhead

A table full of garden tools and a single potted plant with dark pink flowers. — Removing spent blooms is one of the simplest ways to encourage a long-lasting season while refreshing the aesthetic.

Deadheading faded blooms is helpful for a few reasons. It directs energy to the remaining buds and flowers and promotes new ones during peak flowering. It also helps develop strong roots and healthy foliage instead of using energy to produce seeds. And it improves air circulation in an already dense crown. If your cyclamen has a bundle of blooms, they’ll foster damp, crowded conditions for diseases as they lay in place on healthy leaves and stems.

Deadheading, while not essential to growth, is a common practice to support remaining flowering and tidy up the appearance. Removing spent blooms is one of the simplest ways to encourage a long-lasting season while refreshing the aesthetic.

To remove spent blooms, twist and pluck the stems toward their base. Those that are ready will remove easily with a sharp tug.

Care During Dormancy

A plant in the ground with slightly wilted leaves, surrounded by flat rocks. — Remove declining foliage from the crown as it dies back.

Outside of hardy cyclamen growing in the shaded garden bed, it can be challenging to encourage an indoor selection to bloom twice. When they finish flowering, cyclamen naturally prepare to enter dormancy. Their leaves turn yellow and drop.

This rest period corresponds to their Mediterranean climate adaptations: they grow and bloom during the cool, rainy season and conserve energy during hot, arid summers. With this rest, they restore the energy to regrow and rebloom.

As leaves begin to yellow in late spring, reduce water to mimic dry conditions. Remove declining foliage from the crown as it dies back, and place the pot in a cool, shaded spot. Ideal dormancy temperatures are between 45-50°F (7-10°C). A rest period of at least six to eight weeks is beneficial.

Breaking Dormancy

Repotting a plant with light pink flowers, using a handheld shovel, with some soil scattered on the table. — Repot if you see roots poking through the drainage holes.

In mid to late summer, provide slightly warmer conditions (50-65°F or 10-18°C) and water thoroughly. Warmth and moisture signal that the growing season is resuming. Continue with the regular care routine of bright, indirect light, evenly moist soils, and cool temperatures to promote budding and blooming.

Now is the time to repot if you’re lucky enough to have a vigorous specimen whose roots are popping up through the surface or poking out of drainage holes. Opt for a pot one size larger and refresh the potting media. Place the crown slightly above soil level, allowing room to settle when watered.

To encourage more blooms, fertilize your cyclamen during the growing season with a diluted formula at every other watering session. An organic houseplant fertilizer at ¼ strength works well to protect against overfertilizing, which has the opposite desired effect.