Cyclamens add a cheery note for the Christmas season

In ancient times, Romans celebrated Saturnalia in honor of Saturn, the god of seeds and sowing. People exchanged gifts.

They decorated with holly. The red berries and green leaves were absorbed into Christmas celebrations, and that is why red and green are the colors of Christmas.

A popular houseplant this time of year is the vibrant red Cyclamen. It also blooms in purple, white and pink. It’s known botanically as Cyclamen persicum and bears sweetly fragrant blooms that extend on top of long stems over the heart-shaped leaves.

Unlike most houseplants, Cyclamens go into dormancy in the summer. This tuberous perennial loses all of its leaves and dies down to just its fleshy roots. During the summer, when the plant is dormant, it does best in a cool, dark spot with plenty of air circulation.

The plants regrow from the dormant roots each fall. Cyclamen grows best in organically rich, well-draining soil that is slightly acidic. For potted plants, use regular potting soil with added peat moss.

Give your Cyclamen bright, indirect light for four to six hours each day in the winter while it is actively growing. They flower best with growing temperatures between 40-65˚F. Water them thoroughly right at the base of the plant when the top few inches of soil dry out. They grow best in 40-60% humidity, and you can spray them with a mister to raise humidity. You can also place the pot in a small dish of gravel with water. Avoid placing your Cyclamen near heating vents, and keep them away from drafts.

Feed Cyclamens with a diluted liquid low-nitrogen fertilizer made specifically for flowering plants. Feed them about once a month when they are in full leaf. Don't fertilize Cyclamen while they’re dormant and not growing.

There are several new varieties of Cyclamen available. The Sierra series has huge flowers 2 to 3 inches across that bloom in white, red, pink, salmon, lilac and purple.

Scentsation Cyclamen are famous for their heady fragrance, and bloom in red and pink. Victoria produces ruffled white flowers with red accents.

Many gardeners treat indoor Cyclamens as annuals and throw the plant out after it blooms. With a little bit of effort, you can get Cyclamens to rebloom.

To encourage reblooming, cut off all dead flower stalks at the base, as well as any dead leaves. Let the plant dry out for two to three months and keep it in a cool, shady area. While in this dormant stage, cut way back on the water because too much water will cause the tuber to rot. When cooler weather arrives, the plant will start to regrow, and it can be watered and moved to a brighter location.

Then you can revive the red and green cyclamen for another cheery Christmas.