What is it? Cyclamen hederifolium is perfect ground cover under shrubs and deciduous trees where the grass grows scrappily and the mower rarely ventures. The arrival of its flowers is traditionally said to mark the beginning of autumn, but they can start in late summer and last to the end of November. At just 12cm, the individual blooms are insignificant, but en masse they resemble icing on a fairy cake. Dark green, heart-shaped leaves inscribed with silver follow.
Any good varieties? The white form ‘Album’ looks pretty mixed with the pink. ‘Pewter Mist’ has particularly silvery foliage, ‘Ruby Glow’ has magenta petals, and ‘Stargazer’ has flowers that look up, not down.
Plant it with? Think glossy spears of hart’s tongue fern and lashings of ivy-leaved cyclamen around a mossy tree trunk. But don’t crowd them.
And where? Dappled shade is ideal, though it copes with dry shade once established, and with most soils, so long as it’s not waterlogged in winter. It grows from a corm, and appreciates leaf mould or compost mulched or dug in when planted.
Any drawbacks? This plant is summer deciduous and disappears over summer, so plant it with something evergreen if the thought alarms you.
What else can it do? Seeds are spread by ants attracted by their sugary coating.
