Cyclamen (Sowbread) care

Light

Bright but filtered. Cyclamen burns within days in unfiltered south-facing summer sun, and stops growing within months in deep shade. Bright, indirect light all day suits cyclamen best - an east-facing window or set back from a south window. Tolerates a few hours of gentle early-morning sun, but hot direct midday sun and warm rooms shorten the bloom and trigger early dormancy. If you only have a south window, set the plant back 1.5 m or hang a sheer curtain — both knock the intensity down into the right range.

Watering

Watering cyclamen: when the soil surface feels dry, roughly every 5-10 days in bloom. The number that matters isn't the day of the week — it's how dry the top 2-3 cm of the pot feels. A finger in the soil tells you more than a watering app. After every watering, tip the saucer. Water from below: stand the pot in shallow water for about 15 minutes, then drain fully. This keeps the half-exposed tuber (corm) dry, since wetting the crown causes rot. If watering from above, aim at the pot's edge, never the center. Let the surface dry between waterings and never leave it sitting in water.

Soil and pot

Cyclamen grows best in free-draining, peat-free potting mix. Use a light, free-draining houseplant or peat-free multipurpose mix; adding grit or perlite improves drainage. The tuber should sit with its top half exposed above the soil line to reduce rot risk. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Cyclamen sits happiest at around Moderate to high, around 50%+ humidity and 13-18C day, 10-13C night (55-65F day, 50-55F night). Cyclamen prefer humidity above about 50%. Stand the pot on a tray of moist pebbles or run a humidifier nearby - this also helps deter cyclamen and spider mites, which thrive in dry air. Avoid misting the crown and foliage directly, which encourages gray mould. If you keep the room above 13 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed cyclamen sparingly. Feed every two weeks while in active growth and bloom with a dilute, low-nitrogen liquid fertiliser (a higher-phosphorus bloom feed works well). Stop feeding once the plant begins its summer dormancy and leaves yellow. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on cyclamen in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Yellowing leaves — Usually a sign of too much warmth, too little light, or watering errors. Move to a cooler, brighter spot and review your watering. Gradual yellowing in late spring is normal onset of dormancy.
• Crown or tuber rot — Caused by water sitting on the corm. Always water from below or at the pot edge, ensure good drainage, and keep the top of the tuber exposed above the soil.
• Gray mould (Botrytis) — Fuzzy gray growth in the crowded center, encouraged by cool, damp, still air and overhead watering. Improve airflow, remove affected leaves at the base, and avoid misting.
• Cyclamen and spider mites — Microscopic mites cause curled, distorted, discoloured leaves and stunted buds, and thrive in dry air. Raise humidity and keep rooms cool; infestations are hard to eradicate, so prevention is key.
• Collapsing or drooping stems — Most often overwatering, but can also signal a too-hot room. Check that the pot drains freely and isn't standing in water, and move away from heat sources.
• Flower buds failing to open — Typically caused by temperatures above the cool range cyclamen prefer. Relocate to a cooler spot (ideally under about 18C / 65F) away from radiators and vents.

Propagation

Most reliably grown from seed: soak seed overnight, sow in late summer, and cover to exclude light; seedlings take around 15-18 months to reach flowering size. Mature tubers can sometimes be divided, but cut tubers are prone to rot, so seed is the dependable method for home growers. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Cyclamen is toxic to pets. The ASPCA lists Cyclamen (Cyclamen spp.) as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses; the toxic principle is terpenoid saponins. Leaves and flowers cause drooling, vomiting, and diarrhoea, while the tuber - the most toxic part - can in large amounts cause heart-rhythm abnormalities, seizures, and death. Keep well away from pets and contact a vet or ASPCA Poison Control if ingested. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Cyclamen deep-dive guides

Every aspect of cyclamen care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Cyclamen watering schedule
• Cyclamen light requirements
• Best soil mix for cyclamen
• Cyclamen fertilizing guide
• When to repot cyclamen
• How to propagate cyclamen
• Cyclamen growth rate & size
• Cyclamen cold hardiness
• Cyclamen temperature & humidity
• Is cyclamen toxic to cats & dogs?
• Getting cyclamen to bloom

Related guides

Cyclamen is also known as Cyclamen, Persian cyclamen, Florist's cyclamen, and Sowbread.

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