Nature on our doorsteps: Dainty and cute, but hardy

Rosaleen Dwyer is the County Heritage Officer at South Dublin County Council – every week she gives us an insight into the natural heritage around us and the beautiful biodiversity of the plants and creatures.

A winter-flowering potted plant that has become very popular in recent years is the Cyclamen.

These distinctive little plants arrive in the shops and garden centres from October.

They are sold either in individual pots or they are mixed in with other winter-flowering plants in colourful displays.

Cyclamens are native to the Mediterranean, stretching eastwards to Greece and Turkey, as far as Iran.

They were introduced into western Europe in the late 17th century and became popular as a garden plant by the early 1900s.

Cyclamen’s leaves and flowers grow from underground tubers which look like flattened circular potatoes.

Individual leaf and flower stems grow directly from this tuber, reaching to between 15cm and 20cm high.

The glossy green leaves can be round or kidney-shaped, with either smooth or scalloped edges.

The opening of the Cyclamen flower faces towards the ground, while the petals rise upwards

The leaf surface can be patterned with splashes of silver and bright green, while the underneath can be coloured dark red.

Cyclamen’s flowers range in colour from pure white to delicate pink, cerise, purple, and vibrant red.

They have five petals that are fused together at the base to form a cup.

What makes the flowers distinctive, however, is that these petals then sweep backwards.

This lifts the rest of the petals upwards into the air, making the flower look like a dainty butterfly at rest.

Once the flowers have been pollinated and the seedhead begins to ripen, the flower stalk curls back down towards the ground, ensuring that the seeds drop safely into the soil.

The seeds are coated in a sticky sugary substance that attracts ants.

These insects carry the seeds away and feed on the seedcoat, discarding the undamaged seed when they are finished.

In this way the Cyclamen spreads around in the vicinity of the parent plant.

Some species of Cyclamen are tolerant to deep cold, down to -20° Celsius.

Most of the species sold here in Ireland would generally be hardy down to -4° Celsius.