Alpine violet is a perennial tuberous plant from the genus cyclamen. She prefers the conditions of the mountain climate, for which she received her exquisite name.
Alpine Violet Description
Her other common name is Cyclamen purpurea (European), and in common parlance - a scum. This flower can be found along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea and in the mountains of Northeast Africa. The plant loves coolness and does not tolerate heat at all. Therefore, its life cycle is divided into two periods: rest and growth. In summer, alpine violet drops its leaves and “falls asleep”, and in autumn the time for vegetation begins. It blooms all winter - from October to March.
The buds of this plant have delicate oblong petals of white, purple and pink. Green leaves with silver patterns in shape resemble a heart.
Types of Alpine Violets
Alpine violet has more than 20 species. But due to the difficulties of home care, only two are grown: Persian and purple.
View | Description | Leaves | Flowers |
| Persian cyclamen | Perennial, up to 30 cm high, has a round fleshy root formation, with a diameter of 15 cm. Does not form daughter processes. | Large, up to 14 cm in diameter, grow from a tuber, heart-shaped, dark green with a light pattern, petioles are red-brown. | They have five pointed, curved petals, up to 5 cm long. Rich colors: white, pink, burgundy, purple, dark red. |
| Cyclamen Magenta (European) | A low plant 10-20 cm tall. Small tubers are entwined with root processes. | Small - 2-4 cm, rounded. The upper part of the leaf is green with silver painting, the lower part is dark red. | Consist of five drooping petals of pink, saturated raspberry or purple. Flower stalks are cherry. |
Alpine violet: home care
Unpretentious in natural conditions, the flower requires special attention when indoor breeding. Only with a competent approach, cyclamen will not die and will bloom for several months in a row.
| Flowering period | Rest period | |
| Location | In the winter months, plants are placed on western or eastern window sills with good lighting. Or on racks with additional lighting. | A shaded area in the garden or on the balcony. Better in the fresh air. Can be installed between window frames. |
| Temperature | The optimum temperature during this period is + 17 ... +19 ° C. A rise to +25 ° C will be perceived by the flower as a signal for hibernation. | During this period, the plant slightly reacts to elevated temperatures. The coolness of the night on the loggia or balcony has a beneficial effect on the laying of the kidneys. |
| Watering | He does not like dampness, therefore it is plentiful to water, but not often, it is better through a tray - so water does not get on leaves and tubers. | Only slightly moisten the earthen lump with cold water, preventing the tubers from drying out and cracking. |
| Top dressing | Only adult plants 1 time in 2 weeks at the rate of 1 g / 1 liter. Any mineral potassium-phosphorus mixture with a reduced amount of nitrogen is suitable. | Not produced. |
Transplant and soil
Alpine violet is transplanted during the hibernation period closer to the fall, when leaf buds appear on the bulb with roots. The size of the pot should slightly exceed the diameter of the tuber with the roots. In a large container, flowering does not occur.
Persian cyclamenA layer of drainage is laid at the bottom, then the soil mixture is poured. To do this, peat, sand, garden soil and humus are mixed in equal proportions. Dried or decayed roots are removed from the surface of the rhizome and immersed in the ground. Persian cyclamen must be deepened by 2/3, and the European can be completely covered with earth. If reproduction is planned, then before that the bulb is cut, leaving buds and roots in each part. The cut area is treated with coal.
To accelerate growth, tubers are sprayed with special solutions and allowed to dry in the sun, but not under direct rays. Then rooted in the ground. After transplanting, the pot is placed in a cool, bright place. Before the first leaves appear, watering should be sparse.
When propagating by seeds, it is necessary to put an earthen mixture in a shallow container, deepen each seed by 1 cm and level. Cover the top with a light-tight film, regularly moisten the soil. After 30-50 days, seedlings will begin to appear. 
Cyclamen Purple
Alpine violet: garden care
The ideal place to plant in the garden is the crown of any tree or the foot of a shrub. This will protect the flower from excessive moisture during rain and from direct sunlight. Cyclamen loves loose soil, which allows water to pass through and not retain it. To do this, it is best to dig holes and fill them with a soil mixture of turf and leaf soil with the presence of crushed stone, which performs the function of drainage. In the garden, the tubers are deepened by 10 cm to prevent freezing in the cold period.
During flowering, alpine violet needs frequent watering. Moisture in the leaf outlet leads to decay of the plant. Dried buds and yellowed leaves are removed.
Before winter, cyclamen is covered with a thick layer of foliage. Such a blanket will not allow the flower to freeze and retain moisture in the ground.
Diseases and Pests
Symptoms | Causes | Elimination |
| Leaves turn yellow during the growing season. | Dry air, high temperature, lack of watering. | Provide regular watering, spray the space above the flower from the spray bottle, put it in a bright, cool place. |
| Leaves and peduncles rot, brown spots appear. | Excessive watering, water entering the socket and tuber. | Remove the affected parts of the plant, dry, sprinkle with charcoal. Replace the soil, provide good soil ventilation. |
| Flowering stops, the tips of the leaves turn yellow. | Infection with a fungus. | Replace substrate. Flower process Topsin-M. |
| White plaque, dark spots on the leaves. | Gray rot. | Transplant cyclamen into another pot, treat with fugicide, limit watering. |
| Flowers and leaves are deformed, covered with white strokes. | Thrips. | The plant is isolated, disinsection is carried out by Spintor, Fitoverm, etc. |
| The leaves turn yellow, covered with a gray coating, growth and flowering stop. | Infection with a cyclamen or spider mite. | To process with insectoacaricides: Danitol, Mauritius, Sumiton, etc. |
Mr. Dachnik recommends: medicinal properties of alpine violets
The healing qualities of cyclamen have been used for several centuries. Its tubers contain substances that help fight polyps in the nose, with sinusitis and sinusitis. Baths with broths relieve arthritis pain. Alcohol tinctures from alpine violet bulbs are used for rheumatism, gout, intestinal disorders, and migraines.
Sprays with an extract from the rhizomes of the plant have an antiseptic and antimicrobial effect. In folk medicine, to remove pus from the sinuses with acute inflammation, fresh juice is prepared from crushed tubers and 1-2 drops are dripped into each nasal passage only once. This is enough to begin the release of pus in half an hour. Failure to comply with the dosage can cause an allergic reaction and poisoning, because cyclamen is a poisonous plant. To avoid this, all medicines based on it are used on the recommendation of a specialist.
