Taking care of cyclamen

HOW TO CARE FOR INDOOR CYCLAMEN: Anne Swithinbank offers her guide to plant longevity

- Anne Swithinbank

Q: I have been given an especially lovely indoor cyclamen that is just the right size and has gorgeous flowers and patterned leaves. How can I keep this from year to year?
Angela Cornish, Clitheroe, Lancashire

A: My favourite houseplants are always those that have been carefully nurtured for several years. They settle to their environment, leave behind that slightly forced, overfed look of the brand-new specimen and gain character. The ancestor of indoor cyclamen is Cyclamen persicum, a perky, tender species originally from the south-east Mediterranean region and North Africa. The many hybrids vary a lot in size, colour and intensity of sweet, peppery scent. I have heard of cyclamen that have been kept going for over 40 years, and my oldest plant is 12 years old.

Usually bought in full bloom, cyclamen require a cool, bright position to continue flowering and remain healthy. Take care not to overwater, by waiting for the compost surface to begin drying out. Some like to water their plants from below, but I have always watered carefully from above, letting it pool around rather than over the tuber. A cyclamen placed in a hot, gloomy room and under or overwatered will collapse within days.