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Cyclamen coum Family: Primulaceae (SIK-la-men KO-um) Common name: Persian violet, eastern sowbread |
| Description: Tuberous perennial with round or heart-shaped dark green leaves which may have some silver or grey markings. Flower colour ranges from white through shades of pink with darker staining at the base of the petals. This is a spring ephermeral…flowering from December through March, depending on region, and going dormant through the summer.
Special Notes: Native to the Mediterranean, this delightful winter-blooming perennial does well as an understory specimen in rhododendron, maple, birch, Douglas fir and western red cedar plantings. Self-seeding, this plant naturalizes nicely with the help of ants who are attracted to the sugary coating on the seeds. Tiny seedlings start to appear in late fall. Once the plants are established, they are drought tolerant. Generally, disease- and pest-resistant; deer resistant.
This bed in the garden landscape is a difficult one due to the maple roots sucking up all of the nutrients…leaving little for the other plants residing there. Because of this, I am always impressed by the plants who manage to survive such harsh treatment.
Awards: Named by the Royal Horticultural Society as one of the top 200 plants of the last 200 years.
Caution: Toxic to dogs and cats if ingested.
Posted on February 19, 2020
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