Hardy Cyclamen is not your florist’s Cyclamen, but a cold-hardy perennial with a long lifespan. It grows as drifts in the dry and humus soils found underneath tree canopies, and it has done well in places as cold as northern New York, where the winter temperatures have dropped to -20°F.
These charming flowers bloom about 6 to 8 inches above the leaf litter, ranging in color from near-red through pink and into white, sometimes with contrasting colors around the nose. Leaves in various shapes have beautiful markings and add unusual interest to the floor beneath trees, their favorite spot. Sometimes flowers appear separately from the leaves and sometimes the appearances overlap—it depends on the species.