Cyclamen persicum – Purple Pre-Planted Autumn and Winter Display (3 Plants in a White Tin Trough)

Purple cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum, the florist's cyclamen) bring rich colour to the garden through autumn and winter, and this ready-made trough has three of them planted together in a white metal tin finished with moss.

The plants have dark green, heart-shaped leaves with silver marbling, topped by upswept purple flowers. The flowers keep coming from autumn through to early spring, so the trough looks good when little else in the garden is flowering.

The three plants are already growing together in the white tin trough and arrive in it, so there is no potting or preparation to do. Stand it on a patio, doorstep or porch in light shade, sheltered from cold wind. It will take a light frost in a sheltered spot, but a hard or prolonged frost will kill it, so treat it as one season of autumn and winter colour and not as a hardy plant. It also makes a ready-to-give plant gift.

Keep the compost on the dry side and water at the edge of the trough rather than into the crown of the plants, to avoid rotting the tubers. Pull off spent flowers together with their stalks to encourage more blooms. The tubers should not be eaten.

Cultural Information

• Botanical Name: Cyclamen persicum
• Common Name: Florist's Cyclamen, Persian Cyclamen
• Fully Grown Height and Spread: Approx. 20-30cm tall and 20-30cm wide (variety dependent)
• Growth Habit: Compact and mounding, with upswept flowers above heart-shaped foliage
• Perfect For: Patio displays, doorsteps, porches, sheltered window boxes and plant gifts
• Foliage: Dark green, heart-shaped leaves with silver marbling
• Flowering Time: Autumn through to early spring
• Flower Colour: Rich purple
• Planting Position: Partial shade, in a sheltered spot out of cold wind
• Hardiness: Not hardy. Tolerates a light frost in a sheltered spot but a hard frost kills it
• Maintenance: Water sparingly at the edge of the trough and remove spent flowers with their stalks
• Seasonal Interest: Autumn, winter and early spring
• Type: Seasonal autumn and winter bedding