# Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum)

Canonical: https://plantguide.ae/plants/cyclamen · Updated: 2026-10-29
Source: Plant Guide (https://plantguide.ae/plants/cyclamen)

Cyclamen · بخور مريم  
flower · exotic · family Primulaceae · grows 0.15–0.25 m tall, 0.15–0.25 m wide · slow growth  
part shade · moderate water need  
Ratings for Dubai (1–5, 5 is best): heat 1 · salt 2 · drought 2 · shade 4 · ease of care 3  
Sow or plant: Nov–Feb  
Uses: container, fragrance  
Garden styles: manicured, luxury

## Also known as

- **English:** Florist's cyclamen, Persian cyclamen, Sowbread, Swinebread
- **Botanical synonyms:** *Cyclamen latifolium*, *Cyclaminus persica*
- **Arabic (العربية):** بخور مريم, بخور مريم فارسي (Bakhur Maryam Farsi)
- **Urdu (اردو):** پنجہ مریم (Panja Maryam)
- **Persian (فارسی):** نگون‌سار (Negunsar)

> **Advisory (caution):** The tubers are poisonous if eaten, and the ASPCA lists cyclamen as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Handling can irritate skin. Keep pots out of reach of pets and children.

Swept-back flowers over marbled, heart-shaped leaves: a cool-climate winter pot plant that Dubai sells from the cool months. Bright shade, little water and no pets nearby: its tubers are poisonous.

## About

Meet cyclamen, the winter flower with its petals swept back like a rider leaning into the wind. Each bloom nods on a slim stem above a mound of heart-shaped, silver-marbled leaves, in white, pink, red, magenta or lavender, and NC State describes the flowers as fragrant. A pot of it by a door in December is among the neatest pieces of colour a Dubai winter has to offer.

It belongs to the Mediterranean hills. Wikipedia places Cyclamen persicum from south-central Turkey to the Levant, growing on open rocky slopes, mostly on limy soil, and says the plant goes dormant in summer because of heat and dryness. NC State recommends cool temperatures of about 18 °C and bright indirect light. Dubai gives it exactly that for a few months, between December and March, and not at all in summer.

So the mood is seasonal and slightly precious: a pot to buy in flower in November, enjoy for three months in bright shade, and replace or rest when the heat returns. It is a flower to place carefully, and one to keep away from pets.

Cyclamen persicum, the florist's or Persian cyclamen, is a tuberous perennial in the primrose family, Primulaceae. NC State gives a height and spread of 15 to 23 cm, flowers from early winter to spring over about three months, and a need for bright indirect light and rich, well-drained soil, watered at the pot's edge or base, never over the crown. Wikipedia says it is a popular Valentine's Day gift as a potted plant, and that the plant goes dormant in summer. NC State is specific: when the plant goes dormant in summer, the leaves turn yellow and drop off.

Dubai's mean maximum is 26.5 °C in December, 24.4 °C in January and 26.1 °C in February, with January's mean minimum at 15.3 °C, so the coolest months come close to NC State's recommended 18 °C. Bayut names cyclamen among the winter flowers of the UAE. In spring, as the mean high climbs to 33.7 °C in April and 38.2 °C in May, the plant has no cool season left. We found no UAE source on carrying cyclamen through summer or on its re-flowering in Dubai, so treat it as a winter purchase.

Dubai shops list it: Plantsworld sells 'Cyclamen Swinebread - Outdoor Seasonal Flowering', and Plantshop.me lists cyclamen among its indoor plants. We found no Dubai Municipality or UAE nursery source on planting dates, so the windows below are our reading of the cool season. The ASPCA lists cyclamen as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, because of terpenoid saponins, with the tubers the dangerous part; NC State says the tubers are poisonous if eaten raw.

## Through the year

Cyclamen's Dubai year is a short winter one. Pots in flower go out from about November to February, in bright shade out of direct sun; in October, with the mean high at 35.9 °C, it is too warm. Flowers carry on through December to March, when mean highs are 24 to 29 °C and nights fall to 15 to 19 °C. Water at the pot's edge and keep the crown dry. By April, with highs at 33.7 °C, the plant slows, and by May most are finished; NC State says leaves yellow and drop when the plant goes dormant in summer. We found no UAE report of re-flowering.

| When | What | Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Nov–Feb | Plant: Buy and place pots in the cool season | Our reading: NC State says flowers run from early winter to spring. No Dubai Municipality or UAE source gives planting dates for cyclamen. |
| Dec–Mar | Flowers: Flowers through the coolest months | NC State gives flowering as early winter to spring, lasting about three months. |
| Dec–Mar | Pest watch: Tuber rot, aphids, thrips and spider mites | NC State lists aphids, mealybugs, spider mites and thrips, and says tuber rot results from overwatering. |
| Apr–Oct | Heat stress: Heat ends the display | NC State says the plant goes dormant in summer and the leaves yellow and drop. Dubai's mean high is 33.7 °C in April and 38.2 °C in May. |

## Care in Dubai

- **Watering in summer:** Not grown outdoors through a Dubai summer; NC State says it goes dormant, with leaves turning yellow, and watering is reduced.
- **Watering in winter:** Water only when the soil feels dry, from the base or at the pot's edge, and keep water off the crown, as NC State advises.
- **While establishing:** Keep the compost lightly moist after buying; water at the pot's edge or base, never over the crown.
- **Soil:** Rich, free-draining potting mix; NC State describes a well-drained loam. Do not plant it in unamended Dubai sand.
- **Feeding:** A weak liquid feed every 2 to 4 weeks while in flower; none during dormancy.
- **Pruning:** Pull off spent flowers and yellow leaves at the base of the stem, and wash your hands afterwards, since handling can irritate skin.
- **Planting:** Keep in its pot, or repot into a pot with drainage, with the top of the tuber level with the compost surface.
- **Pests and problems:** Tuber rot from overwatering; Aphids; Mealybugs; Spider mites; Thrips
- **Toxicity:** Toxic. The ASPCA lists cyclamen (Cyclamen spp., sowbread) as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, with terpenoid saponins as the toxic principle, causing drooling, vomiting and diarrhoea, and with heart rhythm abnormalities, seizures and death possible after large ingestions of tubers. NC State says the tubers are poisonous and can cause severe diarrhoea and possible death if eaten raw, and that handling can irritate skin. Keep out of reach of children, pets and livestock.

## Good and bad

**Pros**
- Fragrant flowers and marbled leaves on a compact pot plant
- Flowers for about three months from early winter, per NC State
- Thrives in bright shade, which Dubai's cool months offer
- Sold in the UAE by Plantsworld and Plantshop.me
- Named by Bayut among the UAE's winter flowers

**Cons**
- Tubers are poisonous, and the ASPCA lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses
- Goes dormant in summer, and Dubai's heat ends the display by April
- Tuber rot from overwatering, and the crown must stay dry
- NC State recommends cool temperatures of about 18 °C
- No UAE source found on re-flowering after summer

## Common mistakes

- Putting it in direct sun or beside a hot wall. NC State recommends bright indirect light and cool temperatures of about 18 °C.
- Watering over the crown. NC State says to water at the edge or base of the pot, keeping water off the crown, because overwatering causes tuber rot.
- Leaving it where pets or children can reach it. The ASPCA lists cyclamen as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, and the tubers are the dangerous part.
- Buying it in October. At a mean high of 35.9 °C it is too hot; wait for the cool months from November.
- Expecting it to flower again after Dubai's summer. We found no UAE source on this, and NC State says the leaves yellow and drop in summer dormancy.

## Good to know

- The ASPCA lists the whole genus, Cyclamen spp., as toxic to dogs, cats and horses; the signs are drooling, vomiting and diarrhoea, and large ingestions of tubers can cause heart rhythm changes, seizures and death.
- Plantsworld lists it as 'Cyclamen Swinebread'; swinebread looks like a variant of sowbread, the old English name Wikipedia and the ASPCA give for the plant.
- Wikipedia says the wild plant grows on open rocky slopes, mostly on calcareous soils, from south-central Turkey to the Levant.
- NC State's former names for the plant are Cyclamen latifolium and Cyclaminus persica.

## Using it in a garden

Roles: Pots by an entrance, Table-top winter colour, Shaded balcony pots, Gift plant

Put cyclamen in bright shade where the pot is out of direct sun, such as beside a north- or east-facing door, on a covered balcony or on a shaded patio table. NC State recommends bright indirect light and cool temperatures of about 18 °C, so keep the pot away from heat-holding walls and from air-conditioner exhaust. Use a pot with drainage, and place it where pets and children cannot reach the tubers or the leaves. Group a few pots in a single colour for a stronger effect.

- [Petunia](https://plantguide.ae/plants/petunia.md): Petunia fills the sunnier half of the same entrance, while cyclamen takes the shaded half.
- [Dianthus](https://plantguide.ae/plants/dianthus.md): Dianthus is a compact, scented cool-season flower in pinks and whites that sits well beside cyclamen in a pair of pots.
- [Snapdragon](https://plantguide.ae/plants/snapdragon.md): Snapdragon adds height behind cyclamen's low mounds, and both finish with Dubai's spring heat.
- [Impatiens](https://plantguide.ae/plants/impatiens.md): Impatiens shares the shade and the cool season, for a bed or a row of pots in the shadiest corner.

## FAQ

**Can cyclamen grow in Dubai?**  
For a few cool months, in bright shade. NC State recommends temperatures of about 18 °C and bright indirect light, which Dubai's December to March weather approaches, and Bayut lists cyclamen among the UAE's winter flowers. Summer heat ends the display.

**When should I buy cyclamen in Dubai?**  
From about November to February, in flower. No UAE source gives exact dates, and October's mean high of 35.9 °C is too warm. NC State gives flowering as early winter to spring.

**Why are my cyclamen leaves turning yellow?**  
It could be heat or overwatering. NC State says the leaves yellow and drop when the plant goes dormant in summer, and that tuber rot follows overwatering. Check the pot is in cool shade, water at the pot's edge and let the compost dry a little between waterings.

**Will cyclamen flower again next year in Dubai?**  
We found no UAE source saying so. NC State says florist cyclamen go dormant in summer; the heat of a Dubai summer is a severe test, so most owners treat it as a seasonal purchase.

**Is cyclamen safe for pets?**  
No. The ASPCA lists cyclamen as toxic to dogs, cats and horses; the tubers are the most dangerous part. Keep the pot out of reach and call a vet if a pet eats any.

## Related plants

[Petunia](https://plantguide.ae/plants/petunia.md) · [Dianthus](https://plantguide.ae/plants/dianthus.md) · [Snapdragon](https://plantguide.ae/plants/snapdragon.md) · [Impatiens](https://plantguide.ae/plants/impatiens.md) · [Pansy](https://plantguide.ae/plants/pansy.md)

## Photos

![Pots of red and pink florist's cyclamen on sale at a nursery](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/CyclamenPersicumMill20.jpg)  
Photo: Fanghong / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons ([source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CyclamenPersicumMill20.jpg))

![Pink cyclamen flowers above marbled leaves in Dalat](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Cyclamen_persicum_in_Dalat.JPG)  
Photo: Hungda / CC0 / Wikimedia Commons ([source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cyclamen_persicum_in_Dalat.JPG))

![White wild Persian cyclamen growing from a limestone rock crevice](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Cyclamen_persicum_-_Persian_cyclamen_01.jpg)  
Photo: Zeynel Cebeci / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons ([source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cyclamen_persicum_-_Persian_cyclamen_01.jpg))

![Pink Persian cyclamen flowers growing wild among rocks](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Cyclamen_persicum_-_Rakefet_2009.jpg)  
Photo: MathKnight and Zachi Evenor / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons ([source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cyclamen_persicum_-_Rakefet_2009.jpg))

## Sources

- [NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Cyclamen persicum](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cyclamen-persicum/)
- [Wikipedia: Cyclamen persicum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclamen_persicum)
- [ASPCA: Cyclamen](https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/cyclamen)
- [Kew WCVP, the checklist behind POWO (read via GBIF): Cyclamen persicum](https://www.gbif.org/species/207598737)
- [Arabic Wikipedia: بخور مريم فارسي](https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A8%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%B1_%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%85_%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B3%D9%8A)
- [Arabic Wikipedia: بخور مريم (the genus Cyclamen)](https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A8%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%B1_%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%85)
- [Urdu Wikipedia: پنجہ مریم](https://ur.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%BE%D9%86%D8%AC%DB%81_%D9%85%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%85)
- [Persian Wikipedia: نگون‌سار](https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%86%DA%AF%D9%88%D9%86%E2%80%8C%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B1)
- [Bayut: Which plants to grow in your garden in UAE summers and winters](https://www.bayut.com/mybayut/uae-garden-plants-summer-winter)
- [Wikipedia: Climate of Dubai (WMO 1991-2020 normals)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Dubai)
- [Plantsworld: Cyclamen Swinebread - Outdoor Seasonal Flowering (Dubai shop listing, checked 2026-10-29)](https://plantsworld.ae/products/cyclamen-swinebread-outdoor-seasonal-flowering)
- [Plantshop.me: Cyclamen - Indoor Plants (UAE shop listing, checked 2026-10-29)](https://www.plantshop.me/ae-en/product/cyclamen)