Cyclamens attract many amateur gardeners with their beauty and are a frequent decoration of our window sills. It is especially pleasant that the flowering period of these plants falls on autumn and winter, and they delight the eye with their magnificent buds during gloomy autumn and cold winter days.
Currently, quite a lot of different varieties of this plant have been bred, distinguished by a variety of flower colors - various shades of pink, red, purple and lilac. With all the variety of colors, white cyclamen is still the standard of beauty and elegance.
Flower Description
Cyclamen is a small herbaceous perennial plant with a root in the form of a thickened tuber. Appreciated for its original appearance. The leaves are rounded or heart-shaped, decorated with an interesting pattern. Flowers bloom on long peduncles, one on each.
Currently, there are about twenty species of this plant. And if initially only red and white cyclamen were known, now, as a result of selection, various hybrid varieties with corrugated and multi-color frills, two-color, with a border, veins, etc. have been created.
Where does cyclamen come from?
In the wild, the plant is quite widespread. Cyclamen is native to vast areas of the Mediterranean from Spain to Iran. It is also found in Northeast Africa. Some species of this plant can be found in the Krasnodar Territory and in the Crimea.
As houseplants, mainly the Persian species is grown. Turkey and the countries of the Middle East are considered the birthplace of Persian cyclamen. In Europe, it has been grown as a houseplant since the eighteenth century. The European species is more common as a horticultural crop.
Varieties of white cyclamen
White flowers can be found in both Persian and European cyclamen. Often, novice flower growers confuse these types of plants. But there are some differences between them that make it possible to distinguish the white Persian cyclamen from its European counterpart.
As a houseplant, European cyclamen is rare. It is more common in natural conditions, in its homeland in the Alps. That is why it is also commonly called alpine violet. And although it is also called purpleor blushing, but the predominant shade in the color of this cyclamen is white-pink.
Distinctive features of European cyclamen
There are several signs by which the European white cyclamen is easily distinguished from the Persian one.
- European varieties do not shed their leaves during dormancy. Unlike Persians, they simply stop growing.
- European varieties have much smaller leaves and flowers, resulting in a more compact plant overall.
- The fragrance of a flower is the thinner and more pleasant, the lighter its color. Therefore, white cyclamen - a European is especially appreciated by flower growers.
- The reverse side of the leaves of the European cyclamen is painted in a soft purple hue.
- Roots grow all over the tuber. Plants of this species form many daughter bulbs, due to which they multiply well.
Let's consider the most famous varieties of this plant with white flowers.
Album
This variety of European cyclamen is cultivated as a garden plant. It blooms in spring. Its delicate white flowers bloom on peduncles up to thirty centimeters high and have a rather original structure. Their petals expand sharply at the very base. This species is characterized by very beautiful silver-marble leaves that appear in autumn and winter under the snow.
Ivy cyclamen
Its second name is Neapolitan. This species can be found in mountains and forests. Southern Europe and western Turkey. It is the most unpretentious and frost-resistant, therefore it is considered the most suitable for growing in open ground in Europe. But Russian conditions are too harsh for him, so he is not suitable for our suburban areas.
The leaves of this species can be both rounded and pointed. Their color varies from dark green to bright green. The silvery pattern is clearly visible on the leaves. Flowering begins in August and lasts until November.
The flowers of ivy-leaved cyclamen are white or pale pink in color with a purple tint at the base. One of the most popular varieties of white Neapolitan cyclamen is White Cover. Its leaves look like ivy leaves. Bushes grow to a height of twenty-five centimeters. It starts flowering two years after sowing. Its white delicate inflorescences are not only pleasing to the eye, but also have a delicate pleasant aroma.
Persian varieties
Most often on our windowsills you can find Persian cyclamen. Currently, breeders have bred a wide variety of varieties of this plant, which are distinguished by incredibly beautiful flowers. Despite the fact that the life of one flower lasts only ten days, the total duration of flowering is six months due to the fact that up to a hundred flowers bloom on one tuber during the entire flowering period. This period lasts from October to March.
The most famous varieties of Persian cyclamen,those with white flowers are:
- Cyclamen white with eye. Differs in large, fringed terry inflorescences of white color with a pink eye at the base. Outwardly, they resemble beautiful butterflies that adorn the room from late autumn to the end of April.
- Cyclamen "White Angel". It has the same lush terry flowers with a fringe, but absolutely white, without a single speck. Blooms very profusely. The flowering bush of this species really looks like the wings of an angel.
- Victoria. Another variety with large double flowers. White buds with lush crimson fringes around the edges leave an unforgettable impression.
- "Charlie". Variety with snow-white flowers without fringe. It has a more strict and concise appearance than previous plants. Peduncles in length do not exceed twenty centimeters. It blooms throughout the autumn-winter period, delighting not only with its appearance, but also with a strong, refined aroma.
All cyclamens, regardless of species, require increased attention and proper care. Consider the basic requirements for plant maintenance.
Features of care during the dormant period
Since indoor cyclamen blooms during the cold season, it perceives the rise in temperature as a signal of the onset of a hot dry summer, which for cyclamen is a “rest period”, when the plant seems to hibernate. Therefore, the plant responds to the content in an excessively warm room by stopping growth and flowering, as well as dropping foliage. This fact must be taken into accountattention to avoid problems with cyclamen content. The correct alternation of active periods with periods of rest and the creation of suitable conditions for each of them is the key to successful breeding of cyclamen at home.
Temperature and lighting
Proper flower placement is an essential part of care. White cyclamen needs suitable lighting. During the period of active flowering, it should be bright, but without access to the plant's direct rays of the sun. Therefore, it would be optimal to place the flower in partial shade on the eastern and western windows. On the southern window, additional shading will have to be provided, on the northern plant it will suffer from a lack of lighting.
In winter, the active period for cyclamen, it is required to maintain the temperature in the room at a level of ten to fourteen degrees above zero. Summer temperature should not exceed twenty-five degrees. It is recommended to take the pot with the plant to a shaded balcony for the summer or to dig it in the garden in a place protected from the sun.
Water and air humidity
Water cyclamen with soft, settled water. Its temperature should be two degrees lower than room temperature. A flowering plant is watered in such a way as to prevent either waterlogging or drying out of the soil in a pot. If watering is carried out from above, you need to ensure that water does not fall on the buds and tuber, as this can cause the plant to rot. To avoid this, it is better to use bottom watering - from a pallet. The container with the plant is placed in a pan with water for one to two hours,after which the water is poured out so that the roots do not rot.
When flowering gradually stops, the amount of water is reduced. In summer, at rest, the flower is watered very rarely. With the advent of autumn, watering is gradually increased.
To maintain the air humidity necessary for cyclamen, it is sprayed from time to time until the buds appear. After this, spraying is stopped to prevent their decay. Indoor humidity can be increased by placing the pots on a tray filled with damp moss, expanded clay, or pebbles.
Fertilizers and soil requirements
From the beginning of active growth of foliage and until the buds appear, the plant is fed once every two weeks with a complete mineral fertilizer. You should not get carried away with nitrogen fertilizers, as their overabundance leads to rotting of the roots.
The soil for transplanting cyclamens consists of a mixture of leafy soil, peat, humus and sand. Soil acidity should not exceed pH6. Increased acidity leads to the development of various fungal diseases.
Methods of reproduction
There are several ways to reproduce cyclamen at home:
- Dividing the tuber. This method is used only after the plant has completely faded. The bulb is removed from the soil, dried and carefully divided with a knife into several parts. Each part must have at least one kidney and several roots. The parts are well dried, the places of the cuts are sprinkled with charcoal. Then they are planted in pots and left in a room with a temperature of fourteen -sixteen degrees. The tubers are watered regularly, avoiding waterlogging.
- Seeds. They can be taken from an existing adult plant or bought in a specialized store. They are planted in a pot with moistened soil at a distance of about three centimeters from each other, and the pot is placed in a dark place or covered with an opaque film on top. The temperature in the room should be maintained at eighteen degrees. Shoots appear in a month and a half. Six months later, young plants are planted in separate pots. They will begin to bloom only after a year and a half.
- Rosettes. In this way, only European varieties of cyclamen can be propagated, since Persian rosettes do not appear. Rosettes are shoots on tubers. They are also called horns. They are torn off from the tuber and planted in moist soil, covered with a bag or a glass jar. The required temperature for rooting is eighteen - twenty-two degrees.
- Leaves. This method is ineffective and is used only for the propagation of European cyclamen. It is better not to cut the leaf, but to tear it off with a small piece of onion and place it in water until the roots appear. After that, it is planted in moist soil and covered with a glass jar. Escape appears after two or three weeks.
Properly caring for the plant, you can achieve its unique lush flowering, which will delight you during the long winter
