Cyclamen hederifolium

Hybrid cyclamen aren’t all that easy to grow, but this wild ancestor of today’s hot house flowers, Cyclamen hederifolium, is perfectly at home in woodland gardens where it creates a carpet of—yes, there’s no other way to describe it—lilac to pink Cyclamen blooms that float like butterflies emerging from the ground, often before the foliage appears. All Cyclamen hederifolium (or Sowbread) needs is a relatively dry, humus-rich soil and a position that keeps it from the full force of midday sun. Grow these tuberous perennials in pots or in dappled shade for a fluttering mass of exquisite, lightly scented blooms that just keep on coming!