January, mid-Winter. The days are a mix of cold with blue skies and damp with grey skies. Indifferent to the weather, Cyclamen coum is a burst of much-welcomed colour. It’s also known as the Eastern cyclamen as it originates from the Caucuses. It’s completely hardy, however, in hard winters it might not flower until early Spring.
It’s happy in partial shade, which is good because a lot of us have gardens that don’t get much sun in Winter. Although mine are in pots, they are excellent for naturalising, creating a carpet of pink blooms in a border and under trees and shrubs, which in turn will protect them from hot summer sun. I say pink, but there are also white varieties and varying shades between white and deep magenta.
Even the leaves are attractive. As an interesting side point, it is a member of the Primulaceae (primrose) family, and you can kind of see some similarities in the leaves.
This little bulb packs a mighty punch in the depths of Winter, and I think it’s worthy of a place in every garden.
