Cyclamen plants with pink blooms and patterned leaves showing healthy growth before entering dormancy

Cyclamen Dormancy Explained | What to Do When Leaves Die Back

Cyclamen are unique flowering plants that thrive in cool seasons but naturally enter dormancy as the weather warms. If your cyclamen’s leaves are yellowing and dying back, don’t worry — it’s not dying! Dormancy is part of its natural growth cycle, ensuring the plant can rest and rejuvenate for the next bloom season.

Keep caring for your existing plant: Dormancy is not a reason to buy a replacement. If you would like to grow additional colors from seed, compare six seed packs below. Garden Starts Nursery is a working nursery growing plants from seed; this store sells seeds, not tubers or flowering plants.

Regular-store seed offers

Buy five qualifying items for an automatic 15% discount.

Free U.S. shipping on orders of $35 or more. These are separate conditions: five items do not necessarily reach $35. These offers are not stated for the bulk site.

Browse cyclamen seed packs


🌿 Why Cyclamen Go Dormant

Cyclamen typically enter dormancy in late spring or early summer when temperatures rise above 70°F (21°C). During this period, the tuber conserves energy while the foliage fades away. This process mimics its natural habitat in Mediterranean regions, where hot, dry summers force the plant to rest underground.

If you’re growing indoor cyclamen, dormancy can also be triggered by:

  • Warm room temperatures

  • Low humidity

  • Excessive watering during warm months


🪴 How to Handle Cyclamen Dormancy

When your cyclamen begins to decline, do not throw it away. Follow these simple steps to protect the tuber for next season:

  1. Stop watering gradually.
    As the leaves yellow and die back, allow the soil to dry naturally. Overwatering during dormancy can cause tuber rot.

  2. Cut back old foliage.
    Once leaves are fully dry, trim them away to keep disease at bay.

  3. Store in a cool, dry spot.
    Keep the pot or bare tuber in a shaded area around 50–60°F (10–15°C).

  4. Leave it undisturbed.
    Cyclamen may rest for 2–3 months, sometimes longer depending on temperature and humidity.


Grow Additional Cyclamen Colors from Seed

Which one should I choose? Smartiz® Pure White gives a simple neutral palette, Select Deep Magenta adds rich contrast, and Smartiz® Mix offers varied colors. Dragon Light Blue and Dark Blue offer distinctive blue-toned flowers shown in their product photos, with 25- and 50-seed options. Illusia Light Eye offers soft pink flowers for indoor pots.

These are seeds for future flowering, not dormant tubers or ready-blooming plants. Allow variety-specific growing time: Illusia’s listing gives approximately 27–30 weeks from sowing to flowering. The featured container selections are not substitutes for hardy woodland cyclamen.

Smartiz Pure White cyclamen above silver-veined leaves

Smartiz® Pure White

15 seeds · $7.50

Best for clean white container displays.

Buy Now: Pure White cyclamen seeds
Smartiz Select Deep Magenta cyclamen flowers

Smartiz® Select Deep Magenta

15 seeds · $7.50

Best for bold jewel-toned color.

Buy Now: Deep Magenta cyclamen seeds
Smartiz Mix cyclamen in white pink red and purple

Smartiz® Mix

15 seeds · $7.50

Best for a varied-color collection of small pots.

Buy Now: Smartiz mixed-color seeds
Dragon Light Blue cyclamen with lavender-blue flowers

Dragon Light Blue

25 seeds · $16.00
15 seeds $10.00 · 50 seeds $28.00

Best for a soft blue-toned display.

Buy Now: Dragon Light Blue seeds
Dragon Dark Blue cyclamen with deep violet-blue flowers

Dragon Dark Blue

25 seeds · $16.00
15 seeds $10.00 · 50 seeds $28.00

Best for deeper blue-toned accents.

Buy Now: Dragon Dark Blue seeds
Illusia Light Eye cyclamen with pale pink flowers and dark centers

Illusia Light Eye F1

15 seeds · $9.00

Best for soft pink accents in 6–8-inch indoor pots.

Buy Now: Illusia Light Eye seeds

Explore the complete cyclamen seed collection. Prices shown are USD; check product pages for current pricing and availability.


🌤 When to Wake Cyclamen Up Again

When late summer or early autumn arrives, it’s time to encourage new growth:

  1. Reintroduce moisture slowly.
    Lightly water around the edges of the pot to wake up the tuber — never drench it.

  2. Move to bright, indirect light.
    A cool window or sheltered outdoor spot works best.

  3. Wait for shoots to appear.
    Once new leaves start growing, resume your normal watering and feeding routine.

With patience, your cyclamen will reward you with vibrant blooms through the cool months once again.

Keep your resting plant and plan additional colors separately. If you want to start another growing project, compare seed packs above and allow their full seed-to-flower growing time.


🌺 Cyclamen Varieties to Grow

Browse cyclamen seed colors for future container displays

Regular Cyclamen Seed Packs, compare more colors. Browse Cyclamen Super Serie Dragon.

Shop bulk seed packs

Bulk Site – All Packs for larger projects. Search Bulk Cyclamen Seed Packs.

Smaller Packs – All Seeds


🌻 You May Also Like


💬 FAQ | Cyclamen Dormancy Care

Q: Should I water my cyclamen when it’s dormant?
A: No. Keep it dry until new shoots appear in late summer or fall.

Q: Can I store the tuber out of soil?
A: Yes — just keep it in a paper bag or dry medium like vermiculite in a cool place.

Q: How do I know when dormancy is over?
A: Small green shoots will begin to emerge from the tuber’s center.

Q: My cyclamen didn’t regrow — why?
A: The tuber may have rotted from excess moisture or been kept too warm during storage.

Planning more colors for future seasons? Choose cyclamen seeds for your next growing project.

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