Indoor Plants

This tender herbaceous perennial (or houseplant only in cooler climates) is native to the eastern Mediterranean. The rounded, heart-shaped leaves, which are sometimes strikingly marbled with silvery or pewter mottling, emerge in fall and are attractive well into spring. Purple, mauve, pink, or white flowers - with backswept, shooting-star petals - appear from late fall to early spring. They are often fragrant. The plant dies back to a rounded tuber in late spring. Potted plants do best in bright filtered light and cool temperatures. Use a coarse potting mix with a high organic content, kept well watered in winter and nearly dry in summer. In areas where cyclamen is hardy, plant it under deciduous trees, or in other sites that offer bright light in winter and dryish conditions during its summer dormant season.