Spring Sowbread Rose

A charming spring-flowering tuberous perennial that is native to the Mediterranean but grows well in sheltered UK gardens. It produces fragrant, deep pink or carmine flowers with swept-back petals that appear in April and May, just as the leaves emerge. The foliage is particularly attractive, featuring heart-shaped, ivy-like leaves with silver marbling and distinctively lobed, serrated edges. In Britain, it is slightly less hardy than Cyclamen heryderifolium and prefers a sheltered, partially shaded spot, perhaps under the canopy of deciduous trees or shrubs where it can stay relatively dry in summer. It is an excellent plant for naturalising in a woodland garden setting. The tubers should be planted shallowly in soil that is rich in leaf mould. It is a wonderful way to bridge the gap between the early spring bulbs and the start of the summer perennials. Its delicate fragrance is a bonus on a still spring day.

Sun: Partial shade.

Soil: Moderately fertile, well-drained, leaf-mould rich soil.

Hardiness: H4 — down to −10°C.

Flowering: Mar, Apr, May.