Also known as Florist's Cyclamen, Persian Violet, Sowbread
Persian cyclamen features distinctive nodding flowers with backward-curling petals and silver-marbled, heart-shaped leaves. During hot Mediterranean summers, the plant drops its foliage and enters complete dormancy beneath the soil, re-sprouting when late autumn rains return. As the wild ancestor of common florist cyclamens, it provides vital early-season nectar to native pollinators across rocky limestone hillsides.
ThreatsIllegal collection of wild tubers for trade, coastal habitat loss
HabitatsRocky hillsides, Mediterranean shrublands, open oak woodlands
Life span20 to 100 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
OrderEricales
FamilyPrimulaceae
GenusCyclamen
SpeciesCyclamen persicum
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskHigh
Low
Moderate
High
Very high
Why interaction risk is high
Tubers contain toxic cyclamin saponins; keep away from pets and do not ingest.
Why it is dangerous
Contains triterpenoid saponins such as cyclamin, concentrated in the tubers, which cause severe gastrointestinal distress and potential cardiac issues if consumed.
How to recognize a risky encounter
Recognizable by heart-shaped, silver-marbled leaves rising directly from a flattened tuber and twisted, reflexed petals on nodding stems.
What to do
Keep houseplant cultivars out of reach of pets and never harvest or ingest wild tubers.
Responsible observation
Field Identification: Search for silver-patterned foliage and pink-to-white flowers on shady limestone slopes in late winter.
Cultivation Care: Water potted plants from below to keep the central tuber dry and prevent rot.
