How often to water hardy cyclamen in California
In July on the north-central coast, established hardy cyclamen needs about 0.5 gallons a week for a plant 2 feet across. Hardy cyclamen is a tiny tuberous perennial, only 2 to 4 inches tall, with rounded dark green leaves often marbled in silver. Small flowers in white, pink or deep red open from late winter into early spring, each often marked with a dark blotch. It grows through the cool months, rests through summer, and wants humus-rich soil that drains fast.
How often to water hardy cyclamen, month by month
Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.
How this is worked out: the plant’s WUCOLS rating times your city’s climate for the month, over the area the plant covers. Skip a watering after a good soaking rain.
How to tell it needs water
- Soil dry an inch down while the leaves are up in fall and winter signals that hardy cyclamen can use water
- Leaves yellowing and withering in late spring mark the start of its summer rest, not a need for water
- Tubers turning soft in a bed kept moist through summer point to excess summer water
- Plants collapsing even in moist soil can signal vine weevil grubs feeding on the tubers
- Tubers dug up or missing point to squirrels or mice, not to watering
How to water it
- Plant tubers about 2 inches deep in humus-rich, fast-draining soil in part shade
- Water lightly at the edge of the planting only while the leaves are up and winter rain falls short
- Keep the bed nearly dry once the leaves wither, and keep it off summer sprinkler lines
- Mulch well with leaf mold after the leaves wither to protect the resting tubers
- Let seedlings spread slowly around the colony, extending light winter watering with them
Through the seasons
Hardy cyclamen runs on the cool-season calendar. New leaves appear in fall, flowers open from late winter into early spring, and the foliage withers by late spring. It then rests underground through summer, when excess moisture can rot the tubers. Rain usually covers its growing season on the north-central coast, so water only in long dry spells. It also prefers some winter chill. WUCOLS rates hardy cyclamen low water on the north-central coast. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the Central Valley, the south coast, South Inland, the high desert or the low desert.
In pots
Hardy cyclamen grows well in a shallow pot or trough of gritty, humus-rich mix in light shade. While it is in leaf, water when the top inch of mix dries, letting the excess drain away completely. Empty the saucer. Once the leaves wither in late spring, set the pot in a shady spot and keep it nearly dry until new leaves appear in fall. Protect pots from mice and squirrels that dig for the tubers.
- A year
- no figure
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
WUCOLS lists Hardy Cyclamen as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.
Monthly water need by climate zone
Hardy Cyclamen: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone
| Month | N. Coast | C. Valley | S. Coast | S. Inland | Hi Desert | Lo Desert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.15 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Feb | 0.21 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mar | 0.35 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Apr | 0.47 | – | – | – | – | – |
| May | 0.58 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Jun | 0.64 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Jul | 0.64 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Aug | 0.6 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sep | 0.5 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Oct | 0.35 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Nov | 0.19 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Dec | 0.12 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Year | 4.8 | – | – | – | – | – |
How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.
Plants with the same water needs 3
Rated not evaluated in the Central Valley, like hardy cyclamen. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.
Turn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes hardy cyclamen, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.
Questions people ask
How much water does hardy cyclamen need per day?
In July on the north-central coast, established hardy cyclamen needs about 0.1 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 0.3 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.
Does watering for hardy cyclamen change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates hardy cyclamen separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, not evaluated in the Central Valley zone, not evaluated in the South Coastal zone, not evaluated in the South Inland zone, not evaluated in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, not evaluated in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.
Why did my hardy cyclamen disappear in summer?
It is summer dormant, so its leaves wither by late spring and the tubers rest underground. New leaves return in fall. Mark the spot so you do not dig there or water it by mistake.
How deep should I plant hardy cyclamen tubers?
Set them about 2 inches deep in humus-rich, well-drained soil in part shade. Water once to settle the soil once leaves are growing. Avoid heavy watering while they are dormant.
Is hardy cyclamen the same as florist's cyclamen?
No. Hardy cyclamen is a small, cold-tolerant species with flowers under an inch across, while florist's cyclamen is the larger, tender Persian cyclamen. Both rest in summer and dislike soggy soil.
Why are my cyclamen tubers disappearing?
Mice and squirrels dig for the tubers, and vine weevil grubs can feed on them underground. Cover the bed with wire mesh or grow them in pots you can protect.
Does hardy cyclamen spread?
Yes, slowly, by seed. Over the years a planting can form a small colony under trees or shrubs in part shade.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Cyclamen coum (shade), the University of California survey California agencies use for landscape plan reviewRead August 23, 2026 on wucols.ucdavis.edu
- Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, adopted text and appendices, effective 2025-01-02 · monthly reference evapotranspiration per city, Appendix CRead August 23, 2026 on water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Programs/Water-Use-And-Efficiency/MWELO-Rulemaking/Final-MWELO-Text-and-Appendices_20250103.pdf
- UC Statewide IPM Program, irrigation scheduling using evapotranspirationRead September 30, 2026 on ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/ENVIRON/evap.html
- Shaw and Pittenger, Landscape Irrigation System Evaluation and Management, UC Cooperative Extension, 2009Read September 30, 2026 on ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2013-02/160836.pdf
- Pittenger, Water Management in Gardens and Landscapes, UC Riverside, 2017Read September 30, 2026 on ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2017-03/258022.pdf