Leaf
Dominicus Johannes Bergsma · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ivy-leaved cyclamen
Cyclamen hederifolium Aiton
Also known as: Hardy cyclamen, Neapolitan cyclamen, Sowbread
Family: Primulaceae
10 to 15 cm tall
Woodland and tree bases in dry shade; widely planted as a naturalised carpet in gardens
Flowering: August – November
Shade
Part shade
Hardy to about -15°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
After fertilisation, the flower stalk coils into a very tight spiral, bringing the seed capsule down to ground level — a strategy that favours seed dispersal by ants.
🍃 Leaves
Heart-shaped, marbled with green and silver, often appearing after or at the same time as the flowers, evergreen throughout winter
🌸 Flowers
Pink to magenta, with 5 petals reflexed upwards, borne on long pedicels above the tuber
🍎 Fruits
Globular capsule borne on a stalk that coils into a spiral after flowering
🪵 Bark
Not applicable — herbaceous plant with a tuber
🗺️ Distribution
Native to the Mediterranean basin (southern Europe, Turkey); widely naturalised in gardens and woodland across temperate Europe
🐝 Value for pollinators
Late autumn flowering useful to the last active pollinators (bees, hoverflies)
✂️ Horticultural uses
Planted as a carpet under trees and shrubs for autumn flowering; self-seeds freely
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Tuber toxic if eaten (saponins), which can cause severe digestive disorders in humans and animals
🌿 Other Primulaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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