Cyclamen are wonderful winter blooming plants that are popular around the holidays. But indoor cyclamen plant care is different than it is for other houseplants. Don’t worry, this detailed guide will give you everything you need to know about how to care for cyclamen indoors.
Like I mentioned above, cyclamen are popular winter flowering plants, and for this reason they make very popular gift plants around the holidays. The flowers last for a long time, and they are gorgeous!
Unfortunately, most people throw their cyclamen away once it’s done blooming because the plant will go into its normal dormancy state, and people think that it’s dying, or that they killed it.
But, with the right cyclamen plant care, you can keep your plant for years, and get it to bloom over and over again!
In this detailed cyclamen plant care guide you will find…
- Information About Cyclamen Plants
- Cyclamen Plants Growing Season
- Cyclamen Temperature Tolerance & Location
- Watering Cyclamen Plants
- Cyclamen Humidity Requirements
- How Much Light Do Cyclamen Plants Need?
- Repotting Cyclamen Plants
- What Fertilizer To Use For Cyclamen
- Cyclamen Flowering Season and Dormancy
- What To Do With Cyclamen After Flowering
- Cyclamen Propagation Methods
- Controlling Houseplant Pests On Cyclamen
- Troubleshooting Common Problems
Information About Cyclamen Plants
There are tons of beautiful cyclamen varieties to choose from, some of them have ruffled flowers and others are rounded. You can even get an adorable miniature cyclamen plant.
Whatever variety you choose, you can’t go wrong. All of them have large bright flowers which appear to float above the gorgeous heart shaped foliage.
A common question I get asked about them is: “is a cyclamen plant poisonous?”. The short answer is yes. Cyclamen plants can be toxic to cats, dogs and humans.
So, if you have any fur babies or kiddos running around, it’s best to keep this one out of reach.
Adorable miniature cyclamen plants
Cyclamen Plants Growing Season
Cyclamen plants have an opposite growing season than most indoor plants. Since they are a winter flowering plant, it means that they grow and bloom during the cooler winter months, and go dormant during the heat of the summer.
That’s why they’re such popular gift plants around the holidays, and throughout the winter. It’s also why they made my list of the top flowering houseplants!
This is perfect for those of us who live in a cold climate, because cyclamen plants bloom just when we need them the most – during the dark dreary winter months!
Caring for cyclamen indoors isn’t difficult, but since the growing season is opposite, it’s very different than other houseplants. Use this as your cyclamen plant care guide, and you’ll be good to go!
Potted cyclamen houseplant
Indoor Cyclamen Plant Care Instructions
The biggest mistake people make with cyclamen plant care is trying to force their plant to grow year round. Most people don’t realize that cyclamen plants need a period of rest, or dormancy, in order to survive.
When the plant begins to go dormant, the leaves will start to turn yellow and die, and this is completely normal.
But most people think they’re doing something wrong, so they try to save the plant by giving it more water or light or heat… only to end up killing it for realsies (not that I would know anything about that… grumble, grumble)!
Once you understand how cyclamen plants grow, caring for them will be so much easier!
Growing cyclamen outdoors
Cyclamen Temperature Tolerance & Location
Cyclamen houseplants are super fussy about the temperature, and if they get too hot, it will force an early dormancy.
They like to be kept cool, but they’re not frost hardy. It’s best to keep indoor cyclamen plants growing in a room where the temperature is kept between 50-70F. The cooler they’re kept, the longer the flowers will last too.
They’re also very sensitive to drafts, so avoid hot or cold drafty air (like heat vents or drafty windows). Providing the ideal cyclamen growing conditions is pretty easy during the winter, simply put them in the coolest room of your house.
But again, make sure they stay away from any heat sources (heat vents, fireplaces, space heaters…etc).
Gorgeous red cyclamen plant
Watering Cyclamen Plants
Cyclamen watering is another thing that is a bit different than most houseplants. Like African violets, cyclamen plants don’t like getting their leaves and stems wet. So it’s best to water a cyclamen plant from the bottom rather than from the top.
To bottom water plants, fill the plant tray or cache pot with water, and allow the plant to soak up the water through the holes in the bottom of the pot.
Once the soil is wet, dump out any water that’s left in the tray, and allow the excess water to drain completely from the pot. But never allow the plant to sit in water for an extended period of time.
Cyclamen plants like to have their soil kept evenly moist during their active growing period. Be careful though, consistent overwatering is a cyclamen killer!
Allow your cyclamen to dry out slightly between waterings, just so the soil is dry to the touch. But don’t allow it to dry out completely, or to stay dry for too long. Check the soil each time you water, and only water the plant if the soil is dry.
If you’re not sure how to keep the soil properly watered, I recommend getting a soil moisture gauge to help you out. Using an African violet pot would be perfect for growing cyclamen plants, and would be a great help to protect against overwatering.
Light pink cyclamen plant flowers
Cyclamen Humidity Requirements
Another important piece of successful cyclamen plant care is humidity. Humidity is especially important during the winter months, and cyclamen plants like a lot of humidity.
Heating our homes during the winter sucks the humidity out of the air, and that’s not just bad for our skin, it can be pretty tough on houseplants too.
To help increase the humidity level around your cyclamen, you can run a humidifier near the plant. You could also try putting it on a pebble tray filled with water (don’t let it to sit in the water though).
Other great options are to grow your cyclamen in a small plant cloche, in a sunny bathroom or kitchen, or try using a mini indoor greenhouse.
To help you maintain the proper humidity level, you can keep an indoor humidity monitor near your cyclamen plants to make sure the air doesn’t get too dry for them.
I love this hot pink cyclamen plant!
How Much Light Do Cyclamen Plants Need?
Cyclamen plants like bright light, but they don’t like it hot so keep them out the sun. Direct sunlight is too intense for them anyway. In the house they will do just fine in a bright room, or near an east or west facing window.
Repotting Cyclamen Plants
If your potted cyclamen has outgrown it’s container, you can repot it into a larger one. The best time for repotting cyclamen plants is while the plant is dormant.
General purpose potting soil will usually work just fine for planting cyclamen. An African violet potting mix would work great for growing cyclamen in pots too.
But if you tend to under water your plants, or the soil dries out too quickly, then I recommend adding in some peat moss or vermiculite to help the soil retain moisture.
Make sure to plant your cyclamen in the new pot at the same depth it was growing in the old pot. Don’t bury cyclamen tubers too deep, they should be kept slightly above the soil line.
Cyclamen has gorgeous foliage
What Fertilizer To Use For Cyclamen
You can feed your cyclamen houseplant using a weak half dose of liquid fertilizer every 2-4 weeks while it’s actively growing and blooming. Stop fertilizing once the flowers begin to fade, and never fertilize it when it’s dormant.
When you bring your cyclamen out of dormancy, you can start fertilizing again when the plant starts to put on new growth. A good rule of thumb is to only feed cyclamen plants while they have leaves growing.
I recommend using an organic compost fertilizer, which you can get in liquid form or buy compost tea bags and brew your own.
An African violet organic plant fertilizer or a general purpose houseplant fertilizer would work great for fertilizing cyclamens too.
Miniature potted cyclamen plants
Cyclamen Flowering Season and Dormancy
In nature, cyclamen plants bloom during the winter, and go completely dormant during the summer. Cyclamen houseplants follow a similar pattern, and will go dormant shortly after they bloom.
After the flowers fade, the leaves will start to turn yellow and fall off. Eventually the plant will die all the way back to the soil, and officially begin it’s dormancy.
When this happens, most people think that they killed the plant so they’ll throw it out. But just like an amaryllis, cyclamen plants need this dormant period in order to bloom again.
So don’t toss it out! With the proper cyclamen plant care during dormancy, you will be able to get your plant to bloom again year after year! Read about bringing plants out of dormancy.
My cyclamen plant ready for dormancy
What To Do With Cyclamen After Flowering
Once the leaves begin turning yellow and the flowers start to fade, it’s time to prepare your cyclamen for dormancy. Follow these cyclamen growing tips to help your plant though dormancy, and get it to rebloom again next year.
- Once the leaves start to turn yellow, stop watering the plant and allow all of the leaves to die back
- Remove the dead leaves and place the pot in a cool, dark location for 2-3 months
- Allow the soil to dry out completely, and don’t water the plant during it’s dormancy
- After 2-3 months, bring the plant back out of dormancy and give it a good drink of water, make sure to soak the soil and allow all the excess water to drain away
New cyclamen flower buds starting to open
Wait until you see new growth before you water the plant again. Once you start to see new leaves growing out of the soil, you can begin watering and fertilizing it regularly.
Shortly after the leaves grow, the plant will start to bloom. Woohoo! I sure do love those gorgeous flowers.
You can store your dormant cyclamen plants outside during the summer in a shady spot where they will stay dry if you prefer, but make sure to move them back inside before it gets below 50F.
Growing a cyclamen plant in water
Cyclamen Propagation Methods
Cyclamen plants can easily be propagated by dividing cyclamen tubers and potting each one into it’s own container. Each individual tuber will grow into a new plant.
They can also be grown from seed, but it can take a year or so before cyclamen seedlings will start to bloom so this method of propagation is definitely much slower.
Controlling Houseplant Pests On Cyclamen
Pests are rarely an issue with healthy cyclamen plants, but spider mites and fungus gnats can become an issue.
Spider mites thrive in dry environments, and won’t survive if it’s too humid. So get rid of them by raising the humidity level around the plant.
You can gently wipe the leaves with a damp cloth the help control spider mites, but don’t spray anything on your cyclamen plant or you could damage the leaves.
Fungus gnats on the other hand live and bread in wet soil. They are just a nuisance and rarely do damage to a plant.
If you see gnats flying around your cyclamen houseplant, allow the soil to dry out a bit more between waterings. You can use a yellow sticky trap to help control fungus gnats. Learn how to get rid of houseplant bugs here.
Cyclamen leaves turning yellow means dormancy is starting
Troubleshooting Common Cyclamen Plant Care Problems
- Cyclamen yellow leaves – Yellow leaves on indoor flowering plants can mean that the plant is getting too hot and is starting to go into dormancy. Move the plant to a cooler location, and keep it out of the direct sunlight. Yellow leaves on a cyclamen plant that has just finished flowering is a sign that the plant is going into it’s dormancy period, and it’s totally normal! See the section above about cyclamen dormancy.
- Cyclamen flowers drooping – Droopy cyclamen leaves and flowers are usually caused by improper watering. Check the soil level to make sure it’s not too wet or too dry. See the section above to learn how to water cyclamen plants.
- Cyclamen leaves look dirty and deformed – If the leaves or flowers look like they’re dirty or faded, take a closer look at the plant. Check the undersides of the leaves for signs of spider mites, you might notice their webbing before you see any bugs (spider mites are teeny-tiny). See the houseplant pests section above for more details. Learn more about how to get rid of spider mites on houseplants.
Where To Buy Cyclamen Plants
Since they are winter blooming plants, you probably won’t be able to find cyclamen for sale during the summer.
But it’s usually easy to find cyclamen plants for sale at your local garden center during the winter, especially around the holidays.
Otherwise you can buy cyclamen plants online, or order seeds if you want to try your hand at growing them from seed.
With proper cyclamen plant care, these beautiful plants will bloom year after year during the holidays, or shortly after! Perfect timing for winter! And now that you know how to care for cyclamen plants indoors, you’ll be able to enjoy the flowers year after year!
If you struggle with indoor plant care and keeping your houseplants thriving through the cold winter months, then my Winter Houseplant Care eBook is perfect for you! It will show you exactly how to care for your houseplants through the long winter months, and give you tips for growing even more indoor flowering plants. Buy your copy today!
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Do you grow cyclamen indoors? Share you cyclamen plant care tips in the comments below!
Judy Perkins says
Hi
my cyclamen have fished blooming , the flowerpetalseither fell off or when brown, I pulled them off. The flower centers – many round balls on original stems – look sort of like seed pods-. DoI leave them or remove flower stems at their base ?
Thanks
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, cyclamen plants will sometimes form seed pods after they are done flowering. If you want to try saving the seeds for planting, then leave them on the plant until the seeds pods are dry and brittle, then collect the seeds. Otherwise, you can cut the flower stems off at the base if you don’t care about the seeds.
Jessica Guilbs says
This is my 10yr olds first house plant and once it started to yellow, he was very upset. Im very happy that we got to know more about his first plant. This article was a godsend! The information was easy to read and understand. Thats great for a 10yr old who is dyslexic (we read it together!).
Amy Andrychowicz says
Oh how wonderful! I’m so glad I could help you learn how to care for your kiddo’s cyclamen plant, and that you were both able to easily understand the information. That warms my heart! I hope you enjoy caring for it together for many years to come. <3
Stephanie says
Thank you so much for all the information! I just planted mine outside because I’ve seen them in other gardens in the area. I live near Seattle WA. The flowers are large and more rounded than others I have seen. Is it going to be to cold here? Thank you so much!
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome. It depends on the type of cyclamen plant you have. Some are hardy down to zone 5, while others will only survive in very warm climates of 10 and above. If you know the variety you have, then it’s best to look up the hardiness for it to be sure. Otherwise, think of it as an experiment. 🙂
Diane says
Was thinking about putting my cyclamen in the garage the next three months for dormancy but it would get as cold as 40 to 45° out there ..would that be too chilly? Thx!
Amy Andrychowicz says
That should work. I would just be sure the temperature always stays above freezing for your cyclamen during dormancy.
Barbara Dewar says
I love my cyclamen plants. I received two of them in funeral baskets when my husband passed away 10 years ago. I kept them in the original pots for at least 8 years, transplanting them to larger pots about 2 years ago. These plants have never in the 10 years not stopped blooming. I keep reading about how they need to go dormant, but this is obviously not true, at least for mine. They sit on a south facing window that gets no sun in the summer, and strong sunlight in winter because my house was built for solar effect. I normally only water when I see the leaves flagging and give them a shot of fertilizer every couple of months. Each plant has produced several other plants as the tubers naturally divide. The oldest plants have gotten leggy. I am kind of afraid to try to split them, so I have left them just keep growing and blooming nonstop.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Wow, that is fantastic, excellent job!! It sounds like you have the perfect growing environment for cyclamens. Other people have said the same thing about their cyclamen blooming year round without going into dormancy, so it’s not unheard of. I have never had luck with that myself, LOL!
Lisa Skillen says
Hi!
I bought a really pretty white cyclamens in Vancouver, BC. I thought I had killed it, but reading this it looks like it’s just dormant, yay! My roommate keeps our place pretty warm, which is why it went dormant early, I assume.
My question is: if it goes dormant now, and its regular dormant season is 2-3 months through the summer should I
A) let it stay dormant longer than 3 months or
B) wake it up in the summer, when it wants to be asleep?
Thanks!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, it sounds like your cyclamen has gone dormant. It’s very common for the growers to force them to bloom earlier than they normally would (they can sell more plants that way! 🙂 ) So that is probably why it’s gone dormant earlier than usual too. It can take a few years for cyclamens to get back into their natural dormancy pattern, so it may wake up earlier than normally this year too. Don’t try to force it. I would just follow the instructions above and allow it to rest for 2-3 months, then start the process of waking it back up. It may take a little longer to come out of dormancy, so be patient. Good luck!
Natasha says
Priceless article. Saved me just in time – thank you
Amy Andrychowicz says
Wonderful, so glad to hear my article was so helpful for you to save your cyclamen! 🙂
Jenn says
This was the most detailed and informative article I’ve ever read about an individual houseplant!! I’m so thankful that I found this site!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Wonderful, so glad you enjoyed my article about cyclamen care! You’re very welcome! 🙂