Cyclamen cilicium  - similar to C.mirabile this is a very hardy species. If you can grow C.hederifolium and C.coum, I'd urge you to try C.cilicium. More delicate in flower than the other two species, it really is tough in dry shade, although as it is quite small you may want it somewhere at the front of a border or up at eye level.

For such a common plant there are surprisingly few selected forms in cultivation. Most have not very exciting leaves, but some are more attractively patterned. The flowers tend to be pale lilac pink, although I have seen some very dark coloured plants. A pure white form appeared some years ago and this is said to be more vigorous than the normal plant. It certainly is very beautiful but sadly I lost my plants in pots. I realised that though I still have my C. mirabile tubers from the mid 80s, the C.cilicium are long gone. Maybe they don't like pots or perhaps like C.coum they have a relatively short life span? There is another form, the "Peter Davis form" that is said to be almost white with a pink nose. I have it (see below) but I'm not sure I would distinguish it from the "standard" form.  

Please click on the thumbnails for the full sized pictures.

Typical C.cilicium seedlings showing some variation in flower colour and leaf.	Another pot of seedlings showing some differences in flower shape and colour.	One flower of C.cilicium album that got mixed in with this planting. Unfortunately, it's already been chewed by something!	The "Peter Davis" form	C.cilicium in the newly planted Cyclamen bed, wals and fences on three sides and raised up about a foot by a retaining wall. Other plants in leaf are C.coum and C.purpurascens. Bottom left is a Cyclamen graecum seedling I'm trying.