Flower cyclamens are representatives of the primrose family, it is a perennial plant with tuberous root. Their homeland is Asia Minor, South and Central Europe. In the wild, it can be found in the Caucasus and Crimea. The population is approximately 60 species. In stores, hybrids of cyclamen Persian and European are mainly found.
Both species are very popular among flower growers who know everything about cyclamens. Some uninformed people consider these flowers to be quite moody, but this is a profound error. It is enough to properly water and maintain the optimum temperature, then they will delight with their flowering for many years.
The cyclamen in shape resembles a flock of butterflies that flutters over a bush. The color palette is very diverse. The plant blooms in small, reaching up to 5 cm in length velvet flowers. Height of peduncles can reach 30 cm, there are also dwarf species growing up to 15 cm. The flowers have both stamens and a pistil (bisexual).
Variety variety
Flower cyclones have long been grown as an ornamental plant, therefore, over a rather large period of time, many different varieties were bred: small, medium and large. With a pleasant aroma and without it, of different color and size. For example, a Persian variety begins to bloom in the winter season, and in summer it is at rest.
Usually the flowers are odorless, but there are compact forms (Kaori and Puppet) with a strong aroma. In the rhizome, the processes are only below, without daughter tubers.
The European hybrid, on the contrary, comes to life in the summer. He has less flowers and a pleasant aroma. The root is also in the form of a large rounded tuber, from which roots grow. Unlike the Persian variety, the European gives daughter tubers, they are used for reproduction.
Care and reproduction
Flower cyclamens grow for a long time and abundantly with proper care. The plant loves cool rooms with a temperature not exceeding + 17C. If the temperature is higher, flowering is reduced, the leaves begin to fade and turn yellow. During flowering, the room should be light, the plant requires abundant watering (without getting on the buds and leaves), when the cyclamen stops blooming, it is removed in the shade, laying the pot on its side and not watering for some time. It is only necessary to protect the earthen lump from drought.
Sometimes a flower needs to be fed with special fertilizer and watered with settled water. If you strictly follow all the rules, then the flowering period lasts about 2 months. At rest, watering is significantly reduced, at the same time, preventing it from drying out. The plant should be in the shade until July, from the end of the month it gradually begins to be watered and sprayed.
In September, when young leaves appear, it is better to transplant the flower into a mixture of peat, sand, turf and leafy soil. The tuber is deeply buried in the soil, covering with moss (1/3 of the top should be bare). After that, the pot is moved to a shady place until the fall, when flowering begins. It must be remembered that cyclamen flowers need sunlight in the winter.
Cyclamen propagation is carried out in several ways: in the summer - by seeds, in the spring - by tubers. The flower is overly sensitive to a dry, warm climate, this can even lead to death. If it is impossible to provide the optimum temperature, it is better to put the pot in a slightly moist peat.
Waterlogging also negatively affects the leaves, they begin to languish, turn yellow and rot. Watering the plant, the main thing is not to get on the tuber, for this you need to water it from the edge of the pot or immersing it in water. Flowers can be affected by various pests, in such cases the leaves must be sprayed with a special solution and the soil should be treated with pesticides.
In addition to creating beauty, cyclamen is widely used in folk medicine for eye diseases, migraines, female diseases and purulent lesions. Usually use the juice of the plant, which is extracted from tubers. They are even treated with sinusitis, colds, runny nose. The juice is diluted with ordinary water in a ratio of 1: 6.
Do not forget that this plant is very poisonous, so they need to be treated very carefully and under the supervision of a specialist.