[jo]

Wow, stunning plants! Really elegant, a lot of them, and your candy stripe one is remarkable. Super looking place, too! Did you swim in that tempting pool?
Thanks very much, Jo.

I didn't take the plunge but Tom and the others did. It may have looked tempting but it was really freezing  .

 I was sent off to take photos at my own speed   

[Daisy]

The Miracle cyclamen that I planted last year have seedlings coming up around them.
Are they going  to be like the originals, or different?
Daisy

[John]

Hi, I would guess similar as many of the seed strains are diploids and fully fertile. As you don't have any other types then they should be similar.

[HansA]

Here an actual picture of some cyclamen - the leaves always look fantastic.
Visible on the picture are C. graecum album (front right), C. alpinum (small leaves on the left), C. persicum var autumnale (large leaves in the middle, still with a few flowers) and C. rohlfsianum (background). For comparision, the stalk of G. reginae - olgae emerging in the middle of the Cyclamenleaves has a total height of 38cm.

[John]

They all look very happy. I envy you being able to grow them outside and out of pots. I think of the flowers (though stunning and quite unique) as being a bonus and it is the leaves that give the best show.

[oron peri]

Fantastic green salad Hans
Thanks for showing it.

[John]

How rude. And I think it should be said that you should not attempt to eat them as they are (I believe) toxic to humans!

[HansA]

  - thanks John and Oron, I certainly will not eat them - they are just too nice!

[oron peri]

Well, in this region: Lebanon, Syria and Palestine the leaves of Cyclamen persicum are edible.
They are stuffed with rise, in the same way they would do with Vine leaves.
As there are no Vine leaves available in winter they are  replaced with either leaves of Salvia hierosolymitana, Cyclamen persicum, Arum dioscoridis and Mangold [Beetroot leaves] which is realativaly new option.

[John]

I am surprised though perhaps I shouldn't be as I have eaten some strange and even poisonous plants in Greece. I know that cats must not be allowed to eat Cyclamen, though you may ask why would they, but they are on a list of palnts that are toxic to them along with Lilies. Perhaps cooking is a reason they are edible and not as a salad? I would have also been a bit dubious about Arum leaves but again maybe the cooking? This also moves this inot a different topic but still includes Cyclamen.

[HansA]

Thanks for the interesting information Oron!

[Alisdair]

I'm in Greece at the moment, in the southern Peloponnese.
Here is a picture (lousy cell phone snapshot, I came without my camera) of the local low-altitude form of Cyclamen hederifolium which flowers in the winter - flowering at the moment in our garden here. Photo taken two days ago, 6 January:

[Trevor Australis]

  Cyclamen hederifolium has begun blooming here. Pink and white but all fairly plain green leaves. The fancy leaved forms will be later. tn

[Hilary]

We saw these cyclamen in the village of Karyes, Lakonias. They were near the modern copies of the Caryatids which are  now in the Acropolis Museum.  I have also posted a photo of the explanatory notice for your further edification. I am sure someone will translate it.

[Trevor Australis]

Cyclamen hederifolium would be my nomination. Did you observe any leaves? If the leaf pattern was indistinct it could be C. hederifolium ssp. confusum which is localised in your area according to Grey-Wilson. My C. hed. and C. africanum are flowering too in South Australia.  tn.