Cyclamen cilicium

PERSIAN VIOLET

Cyclamen cilicium
PERSIAN VIOLET

Cyclamen cilicium is known as the Persian Violet because of its delightfully sweet honey-like scent.
(It is a Cyclamen and not a violet at all of course, just smells like one).

Sweet honey scent from pretty autumn blooms

The sweet scent of honey pervades the hillsides of southern Turkey when Cyclamen cilicium blooms in autumn.
With long twisted petals and carmine snouts making the blooms enchanting autumn elves.
Blooms can also vary in colour from soft pinks to white, though soft pink is most common.

Hardy beauty perfect for Australian gardens 

This gorgeous little Cyclamen is a hardy beauty, and perfect for Australian gardens.
Because it is perfectly adapted to summer heat and dry by remaining as a dormant tuber until the autumn rains come.
Then it erupts with the first rains after the long, hot dry, producing both pretty blooms and exquisitely marked foliage.

Exquisitely marked foliage too

Cyclamen cilicium usually produces both flowers and foliage at the same time in autumn (unlike many other Cyclamen).
And the leaves are just as much a treat as the flowers.

Deep green Christmas trees & silver lace for winter

Because each leaf is broad and heart shaped, with a deep green Christmas tree shape in the centre, then surrounded by silver and sage lace patterns, and backed with deep purple – enchanting.
The flowers last for several weeks through autumn, but the foliage remains right through winter as a highlight in the garden.

At home under evergreen pine or deciduous oak trees

Cyclamen cilicium naturally grows under deciduous oak or evergreen pine scrublands, on limestone country in Turkey.
So they are well adapted to short, sharp, wet winters and long dry spells over summer.
The corms are also very frost hardy as well as tolerant of summer heat and dry.
And are happy in varying degrees of dappled shade and sunshine. They do not require deep shade.
Cyclamen cilicium also enjoys plenty of leaf litter and well drained, even sandy soil.

Detested by rabbits & deer resistant

Fortunately bunnies really don’t like the taste of Cyclamen; while deer also place them very low on their menu selection too.

Decorates under trees & shrubs for the autumn and winter months

Cyclamen cilicium is a long lived corm, becoming larger and more prolific with blooms each year. However it will also gently and happily self seed to make new corms each year, to make a hardy colony groundcover.

8cm. High in sweet honey scented blooms x 8cm Wide of heart shaped emerald and silver patterned foliage.

SEED SOWING ADVICE:

Cyclamen cilicium seeds are best sown late autumn, winter or early spring.

First soak seeds in warm water with a little detergent for 24 hours, then rinse thoroughly in fresh water before sowing.

Now sow the seeds in a punnet (or better still small, individual jiffy pots), on the surface of good quality seed raising mix.
Then lightly cover the seeds with sieved mix or fine gravel to a depth equal to the diameter of the seeds.

Now thoroughly moisten the sown punnet by standing it in a shallow water bath so the moisture percolates up to the surface from below.
Then cover the punnet with a dark lid, such as a piece of cardboard or black plastic.
Cyclamen seeds germinate better in the dark.

Continue to keep moist & dark at approx. 10-16C. for rapid germination.

Most seed should germinate in 28-42 days, but some may be longer – so do not discard punnet.
It is a natural process for the seed to germinate at different times, as a cunning trick by the plant to give the seed a sporting chance to germinate into a good period of weather.

A pretend winter helps

Better germination can often be obtained by giving the Cyclamen seeds a “pretend winter”.
So after sowing the seeds, keep them in the dark at around 10-16C for 2-4 weeks.
Then cling wrap the moist, sown punnet and place in the fridge (not freezer) for 4-6 weeks.
After this chilling, the punnet should be removed to cool, dark conditions at around 10-16C for germination. Higher temperatures are not beneficial.
And temperatures above 20C may inhibit germination.

Seed Count: 3 seeds per pack (Seed of this rare variety is very limited this year).

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