Cyclamen coum Porcelain

The Cyclamen Coum 'Porcelain' is a selection of the Cyclamen from the island of Cos, particularly refined with its delicately veined violet flowers rising above its small olive green leaves. It blooms from mid-February, close to the ground, bringing a splash of colour to the garden deserted by other flowers. Its foliage appears in autumn and remains until late spring, then disappears and goes into dormancy in the summer. Plant it in partial shade or shade under trees, along pathways, or in shaded rockeries, where it will slowly spread to form a charming carpet.

The Cyclamen Coum is a small perennial plant with tuberous roots belonging to the Primulaceae family. It is not native to the island of Cos, Greece, but rather to the mountains of Bulgaria, Turkey, and Lebanon, corresponding to Eastern Cilicia, where it is usually found in shaded areas. This small species measures about 10 cm in height.

The Cyclamen Coum has given rise to numerous forms, with varied flowers and foliage, including this lovely Porcelain variety. Some producers have made it their speciality, notably Kwekerij Koen, who works on a small scale. Their nursery is located in Westland, Netherlands, and is known for its horticultural production. Kwekerij is passionate about hybridising botanical cyclamens: Cyclamen Coum, C. hederifolium, and C. purpurascens. They pollinate the parent lines with a brush, collect the seeds, sow them, and then transplant them into pots. We are offering them exclusively today.

The tubers of the Cyclamen Coum are rounded and compressed, measuring up to 6.5 cm in diameter and covered with a smooth and velvety "skin," with roots originating from their centre and base. The foliage generally develops in autumn after a dry summer. It may sometimes appear at the same time as the flowers in January and February in cool and humid climates. The leaves, which are kidney-shaped or rounded, measure 4 to 5 cm in diameter. In the 'Porcelain' variety, the colour of the leaves is a solid dark olive green, slightly lighter at the edges. Their undersides are coloured purple. The foliage disappears as soon as the soil dries out in June, and the plant goes into dormancy.

The Cyclamen Coum 'Porcelain' flowering is slightly later (2-3 weeks) than that of marbled foliage or pink varieties. It appears from mid-February or in March, depending on the climate. The pointed flower buds, initially lying on the ground, stand upright on reddish peduncles. Each flower, quite stout, measuring 1 to 2 cm in length, is composed of 5 rounded petals, curved backwards. They have a slight purple macule at the base of the white petals veined with violet. After pollination, the flower gives way to a small round fruit, with the floral stem spiralling to allow the fruit to come into contact with the ground. Ants, which enjoy their sweet flesh, disperse the seeds.

Plant the Cyclamen Coum 'Porcelain' with other varieties as a carpet. They will multiply on their own over the years, creating unforgettable scenes in the somewhat shaded and dry areas of the garden, which are difficult to landscape. The cyclamen is a perfect plant for the base of a deciduous tree in woodland soil. It is resistant to cold, but its tuber fears excessive moisture in winter and summer and does not tolerate complete drying out in summer. It will find its place in a partially shaded rockery, not too dry, in the company of blue shades anemones and hepaticas, for example. To have two flowering periods, plant Cyclamen cilicicum and Cyclamen de Naples, which flower in autumn.