Cyclamens on the Cote D'Azur

Lifting the lid on these often misunderstood plants!

Dear Reader, I hadn't written for a while. This may have surprised you, as I was previously spaffing out many articles in a short space of time (and indeed I still have a backlog of things to tell you about from that Netherlands trip)

However, my recent visit to the South of France shall leapfrog that. I wasn’t there for a film festival, or to be an instagram influencer in a small bikini.. I was there to learn all about cyclamen, a plant that is often overlooked, a bit misunderstood.. a bit like Vegemite.

I’d never been down that farrrr before, so sufficiently squealed when I spotted palm trees and other exotic flora from the taxi ride. Upon arrival, we had lunch, which just felt very French. Especially the final cheese course, and the fact we had red wine. AT LUNCHTIME. And the Comte was streets away from the one I used to buy in the Godmanchester Co-Op. Soft, almost semi-melted..

During my 36 hours with Morel, I couldn’t help but notice how fun-loving they were. The vibe was so upbeat and positive. Plus, every member of staff said hi to each other around the glasshouses, even managers to manual workers. Now, this may not seem ground-breaking to you, and indeed it shouldn’t be. But, I visit a lot of growers, and this isn’t always the case.

So, let me get to the point. I had been invited to the company of Morel, in Frejus. A family company, which is 100 years young, and with a laser focus on cyclamen. Heloise and Sophie were my hosts, but I also enjoyed meeting plant breeder Celine, all-round hero Guy, and sales chap Stefan (who gave me his snail at dinner too)

Here I am, with (left-right) Celine, Sophie, Heloise.

When Morel initially began breeding cyclamen, they started with good red varieties (reds that are still very famous and were a good base for all Morel genetics) This activity soon ballooned into a very impressive, comprehensive, breeding programme and worldwide recognition. All the cyclamen they breed are from there C. persicum species. Their programme straddles mainstream, commercial varieties and novelties all at the same time. They aren’t selling plants of the varieties they create, they are selling seed, and indeed that it is grown and harvested on site too.

First up, I needed to clear it up: what are we meant to do with cyclamen? Are they indoor, outdoor, and in which season, do they flower for a long time, or are they just for short-term satisfaction? It was all a jumble in my head, as I’m sure it is for many consumers.

Well, they’ll grow down to -5c (which doesn’t happen thattttt often in UK, except for this exact week), so the choice really is yours in terms of position.

At 0c, plants will lose a few flowers, but still perform fairly well. Most consumers in Northern Europe will use cyclamen plants indoors though, as a casual houseplant. But, that’s not to say we can’t enjoy them outside from autumn to midwinter, where you can experience 6 months of blooms from an autumn planting - as they bloom on, sometimes with snow on the top of their cute little heads.

Outdoors, it’s worth noting that the ‘Midi’ types perform best, as they have the best air circulation. Flowers are held higher above the foliage than most other types. You’ll soon learn that cyclamens don’t like to be wet, anywhere on their body!

Most importantly though, cyclamen don’t like heat, so you must understand it’s a cool season plant, and one that shouldn’t make an appearance in your garden outside until autumn time.

Morel test all their varieties for outdoor,- in the ground- performance as well in containers. Those which perform well in the ground are given the ‘out-standing’ label (see what they did there!) Ultimately, cyclamen don’t like WET BUMS, so will enjoy prefer in a container, where excess water can drain off.

The flower colours will also be more vivid outdoors, which kinda makes sense when you think about it. Remember when I found them hiding Poinsettia under the benches in The Netherlands, as they colour tested for sultry christmas lounge lighting conditions?? Interestingly, Heloise said their ‘Indiaka’ types could soon become a good sub for Poinsettia… once they breed a good red..

Fragrance is interesting, and I’m sure Breeder Celine enjoyed me asking 101 questions (a few of which she wouldn’t answer for confidentiality reasons!) It was hidden in the genetics for years, but finally blended when they made the jaw-droopingly beautiful variety ‘Absolu de Morel’.

Fragrance brings the bees even more, which is fab when the plants are grown outdoors. Once pollinated (usually by bumblebees), the flower fades. However, the best scent is found when grown outdoors, with more light and cooler temperatures. Now there’s a dilemma!

The fragrant type ‘Absolu de Morel’ has only just been released, yet seed stocks have already run dry.. although, I did sneak one back in my carry-on!

Whilst flower colours and shapes are a big focus, there are also programmes to select different types of foliage.. I did see some cool things, but was banned from taking photos! Watch this space is all I can say, but it might revolutionise the cyclamen market.

I asked about watering and position. It turns out cyclamen love sun more than we might expect. In fact, I don’t know why I would assume it’s a shade-loving plant, maybe from the gothic foliage and delicate vibe the plant gives off? Watering is a skill, and I have seen far too many unhappy cyclamen. As mentioned, they hate a wet bum, so when you water, always make sure the excess drains away. Remember it’s ultimately a corm (type of bulb…) so needs to stay dry.

Most people don’t even think to feed cyclamen, but you kinda should if you want the best out of them! High potash will defo do the trick. After flowering, you could tip the pot on its side- like my Grandma used to- and let the plant rest and dry, but you’re more likely to just buy some new plants again in the autumn (and help keep the industry thriving!)

So, back to this indoor vs outdoor. In the olden days, cyclamen were celebrated as an indoor plant, as their optimum temperature to grow in was 16-18c. However, modern homes are far too warm, and indoor cyclamen are seldom that happy. Maybe now are turning down the dial a bit, the cyclamens can be in a happier environment though?

I also got a super cool tour of the seed testing facilities, where they store seed for a year before sending to anyone. That’s because a natural period of cold really benefits the germination, echoing how things would happen in the wild. Seeds are harvested around April, and should be sown at 18c ish, germinating within 3 weeks. Here’s how they test run batches of seed..

But, it takes A LOT to select a variety- you can’t just go for something shiny and cool. The mother plants must produce good quantities of seed, then that seed much germinate at a good rate, over 85%- and not erratic. The seedlings then need to be uniform and grow strongly.

We chatted a LOT about the varieties, and I’ll actually go through those in a separate substack, as it’s a full meal! I did give Celine a quick tour of my iPhone and photos of the craziest cyclamen at Japanese flower shows I’d been to. She challenged my perception of blue though.. am I colour-blind or just an experienced marketeer??

I also have my eye on something new for 2023, and that’s a double-flowered type! It’s sterile, so doesn’t produce seed (actually now wondering how they get seed??)… which means it flowers all through the season. Not ideal for pollinators, so best mixed in with other cyclamen, but it certainly looks jaw-dropping!

I am always mega interested in which colours sell best in which countries, so here’s a little summary, thanks to Heloise and Sophie:

UK - usually small, with pink flowers. Sometimes bicolored

France - all of them, of course!

Germany - larger plants with big blooms, and the frilly ‘Rococo’ types

China - red or purple, but never white

Japan - small, very very unique detailed varieties, such as ‘Origami’

Italy - lavender coloured flowers, usually with green foliage not silver

Mexico - larger plants with big blooms

A ‘Rococo’ type

Generally, half the world just wants red and white cyclamen, and that’s reflected in Morel seed sales. Simple folk we can be ;) ‘Halios Red’ and Latinia Success Red’ are faves from the range!

It was such a super visit, and I haven’t even talked about cheese that much! Loved spending time with Morel, seeing the great qualities of the company, their innovation, and the tiniest of peeks into their future developments.

Make sure you are subscribed, so you can experience part 2, where we indulge in some of the coolest new cyclamen- that look like everything from butterflies to tutu skirts!