Greek Cyclamen is a small, flowering, clump-forming, herbaceous perennial in the primrose family, native to Greece. The plant is a tuberous geophyte growing from thick and corky underground rhizomes. The showy flowers bloom in the fall from a background of attractive, satiny, variegated leaves. The leaves appear late during flowering, depending on the amount of moisture the plant has received. The flowers are white or pink with a darker blotch and are often fragrant. The bases of the petals are curled outwards. Greek Cyclamen prefers rocky soils and hot dry summers with warm moist winters. While it prefers full fun or partial shade, it can withstand even deep shade. The thick roots seek and store water and watering during flower bud formation encourages flowering. Greek Cyclamen is a tender plant and not typically found in sites subject to frost. It is usually grown as a potted plant in a greenhouse or as a houseplant. Grow in a deep pot that provides enough room for the fleshy roots. Plant the tubers at the surface in a mix of equal parts loam, leaf mold, peat and sand. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: Can be susceptible to mites or cyclamen gray mold. It is very cold sensitive. More information on Cyclamen .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 2 in. - 0 ft. 4 in. | Width: 0 ft. 4 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover (<1 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping
Texture
Fine
Leaf color
Cream/Tan; Gray/Silver; Green; Variegated
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Dentate
Leaf feel
Velvety
Leaf value
Showy
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Heart shaped leaves are dappled with sliver, gray and sometimes cream, they appear after flowering or late in flowering, oval with a toothed beaded edge. The undersides are purple.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower detail
Showy purple pink or sometimes white flowers with 5 petals appear September-November. The petals bend backward and are pointed at the tips with lines along the petals that converge in the center to a darker color. After flowers are pollinated the stems coils in both directions.
Bloom time
Fall
Stem detail
Flower stem coils in both directions, starting from the center.