Is your cyclamen refusing to bloom, leaving your indoor space less colorful?
It doesn’t take a green thumb to grow this low-maintenance plant, and trust me—nothing beats the joy and pride of watching those flowers unfurl before your eyes.
So, I understand your frustration when it won’t produce those fabulous blossoms.
Today, I’m here to discuss why your cyclamen isn’t flowering and what you can do to encourage them to bloom.
Common Reasons Your Cyclamen Is Not Flowering
Let’s explore the most common reasons your cyclamen is holding those gorgeous flowers hostage:
1 – Your Cyclamen Is in Dormancy
Before you panic, have you considered the possibility your cyclamen is in a dormant state?
If you’re a new plant parent and have no idea what that means, here are a few facts about these hardy perennials.
Cyclamen plants thrive in a Mediterranean climate, where summers are scorching and dry, and winters are cool and wet. That means they bloom in winter (up to early spring) and lay dormant throughout the summer.
So, expect colorful cyclamen blooms to bring winter cheer when the temperature dips. If it’s bikini season and your cyclamen blooms are a no-show, it’s just the way it is!
Also normal is your cyclamen looking sickly or even dead. If you haven’t seen a cyclamen plant go into and awaken from dormancy, pay attention.
How to Tell if Cyclamen Has Gone Dormant
Like how animals hibernate, flowering plants “sleep” to conserve energy when the conditions become less ideal for growing.
They read and respond to environmental cues by going dormant. For cyclamens, those cues are dry heat and long days.
Instead of putting out flowers, they’ll use whatever stored energy they have to survive the hot, long days. Their leaves will turn yellow, then brown, and eventually drop off.
Indoors, your cyclamen may not go fully dormant. Some plants may die back, depending on the microclimate inside your house.
As long as the roots are healthy, there’s no reason to throw out a seemingly dying but perfectly good plant.
At this point, there’s no way to push your cyclamen into blooming. You just have to allow nature to run its course and provide your plant with appropriate care until it’s ready to wake up from its seasonal nap.
2 – Your Cyclamen Is Too Immature to Flower
Another possibility is that your cyclamen is too young to produce blooms, especially if you’ve just transplanted it. Your plant may take a while to settle in and prepare for flowering.
If your cyclamen is steadily growing and the foliage is healthy, give it another year or two to mature. With proper care and the right conditions, cyclamens improve and become more prolific each year.
Cyclamens are fuss-free plants with few demands, but sometimes it takes time to see them bloom.
3 – Your Cyclamen Is Adjusting to a New Environment
Have you moved your potted cyclamen in recent months? If so, that could be the reason your reliable bloomer is suddenly all leaves and no flowers.
Unseasonable shifts in temperature, whether hotter or cooler, may distress your plant and interrupt its normal dormancy cycle. I’ll elaborate on this later!
If your cyclamen appears healthy except for the missing blooms, be patient and give it time to recover; odds are, the flowering is just delayed.
That said, continue giving your plant the usual care. But if there’s a drastic change in temperature, light, and overall growing conditions, adjust your care routine to compensate for those changes.
This can mean watering more frequently, giving more shade, or applying fertilizer.
While some plants are quick to settle into new surroundings, others take a bit more time to bounce back from the environmental shock.
Once your cyclamen feels at home, you can expect it to start flowering again.
4 – The Temperature and Humidity Aren’t Favorable for Your Cyclamen
Cyclamens flourish and blossom in cooler temperatures. If your cyclamen isn’t showing off its stunning blooms, it’s likely the temperature isn’t quite right for it.
When growing cyclamens as indoor plants, you’ve got to replicate a typically mild Mediterranean winter.
So, what’s the perfect temperature for a cyclamen to flower?
Well, these cold-season bloomers prefer temperatures around 60–65°F during the day and around 50ºF at night. As such, keep them away from vents and sources of drafts.
And since they’re adapted to rainy winters, they need high humidity to make those pretty flowers. Plus, you must keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy.
5 – Your Cyclamen Lacks Nutrients
Your cyclamen may cease flowering when it’s not getting enough nutrients. Either your growing medium is nutrient-poor, or your plant has sucked up all available minerals in the potting soil.
Meanwhile, too much fertilizer can lead to overly leafy growth minus the blooms. Why?
Simple—overfertilizing triggers growth spurts above ground, but sadly, the roots can’t keep up. They don’t develop quickly enough to sustain the new foliage.
Consequently, the root system weakens and struggles to produce flowers.
So, if using a general water-soluble fertilizer, use only half of what’s recommended once a month. Keep fertilizing your cyclamen during its growing season, but stop as it heads into dormancy.
A well-fed cyclamen is a happy bloomer. Don’t overdo it, though—like all good things, moderation is the golden rule.
6 – Your Cyclamen Is Getting Too Little or Too Much Light
Light is an essential energy source during photosynthesis. It helps convert water and carbon dioxide into glucose, which fuels growth and flower production.
Your cyclamen might skip blooming if it doesn’t get enough light, particularly during the colder months. Likewise, harsh, direct sunlight can dry out and scorch your plant, leading to the same outcome.
The best spot for your cyclamen is near an east-facing window. There, it can enjoy 4–6 hours of bright, indirect light.
So, keep these two things in mind: quality and duration.
Get the lighting right, and your cyclamen should thank you with a profusion of beautiful fall and winter blooms.
How to Get Cyclamen to Rebloom
Don’t worry—just because your cyclamen has skipped one flowering season doesn’t mean it won’t blossom again.
So, before you toss your plant in the compost bin, consider these tips on how to nudge them to rebloom:
- Deadhead or remove any spent flowers. Grab the stem and pull the entire stalk from the base to encourage fresh blooms.
- If the stem rips as you’re deadheading, pluck out the bottom bit.
- Tidy up your cyclamen of dying leaves and old stalks to prevent rot and increase new growths.
- Feed your cyclamen a low-nitrogen fertilizer when it’s actively growing. During the flowering season, increase your feeding every 2–3 weeks.
- To boost humidity, place your cyclamen on a tray or shallow dish filled with pebbles and water. Just be sure your plant isn’t sitting directly on water to avoid any risk of root rot.
- If the previous step is too much work, invest in a humidifier.
Final Thoughts
Dormancy, a sudden change in environment, and less-than-ideal conditions are usually why your cyclamen is not flowering.
The good news is that you can coax those beautiful blossoms out of hiding. Give your cyclamen tender love and proper care, and you’ll be enjoying a showy display of their dainty blooms.
If the leaves are their usual healthy selves, it’s only a matter of time before that happens.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.