How often to water Persian cyclamen in California
In July in the Central Valley, established Persian cyclamen needs about 1.9 gallons a week for a plant 2 feet across. Persian cyclamen grows from a tuber and sends up heart-shaped, silver-marbled leaves with nodding flowers in white, pink, red or lavender. It grows and blooms through the cool months, from late fall into spring, then rests through summer. Water it while it is leafy, and keep it on the dry side while the tuber sleeps.
How often to water Persian 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 beside a leafy cyclamen signals that it needs water
- Leaves and flower stems flopping over dry soil in winter can indicate thirst
- Leaves yellowing and dropping in late spring or early summer mark the start of dormancy, not a need for more water
- A soft, mushy tuber or a collapsing crown over wet soil points to tuber rot from overwatering
- Pale leaves and small flowers can follow too little light rather than a watering problem
How to water it
- Water around the edge of the planting, never onto the crown where the tuber shows
- Moisten the top 6 to 8 inches of soil, then let the surface dry before watering again
- Plant in rich, humusy, well-drained soil in part shade or bright, indirect light
- Cut watering back sharply when the leaves yellow in late spring, and resume when new growth appears in fall
- Mulch lightly with leaf mold around the plants, keeping it off the tops of the tubers
Through the seasons
A newly planted Persian cyclamen needs evenly moist, never soggy, soil while it is in leaf. Growth starts in fall, flowers follow from late fall into spring, and the leaves die back as summer heat arrives. A dormant tuber needs little water, and keeping it on the dry side helps prevent rot. Winter rain covers much of the growing season on the coast and in the Central Valley. It is frost tender, so grow it in pots in colder gardens. WUCOLS rates Persian cyclamen moderate water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley and on the south coast. It rates low water in South Inland. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the high desert or the low desert.
In pots
Most Persian cyclamen arrive as florist pot plants, and they do best in a cool, bright spot. Feel the mix an inch down and water only when it is dry. Pour along the rim, or let the pot drink from a saucer for a few minutes, then empty it. Keep water off the crown. Cool rooms near 65 degrees and bright, indirect light keep it blooming longer. When the leaves yellow in late spring, let the pot go nearly dry until new leaves appear in fall.
- A year
- 17.11 gal per sq ft
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
Monthly water need by climate zone
Persian 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 | 0.37 | 0.4 | 0.78 | 0.31 | – | – |
| Feb | 0.53 | 0.65 | 0.81 | 0.35 | – | – |
| Mar | 0.87 | 1.09 | 1.15 | 0.52 | – | – |
| Apr | 1.18 | 1.52 | 1.4 | 0.64 | – | – |
| May | 1.46 | 2.08 | 1.61 | 0.78 | – | – |
| Jun | 1.61 | 2.48 | 1.74 | 0.92 | – | – |
| Jul | 1.61 | 2.67 | 1.98 | 1 | – | – |
| Aug | 1.49 | 2.39 | 1.86 | 0.93 | – | – |
| Sep | 1.24 | 1.8 | 1.49 | 0.74 | – | – |
| Oct | 0.87 | 1.18 | 1.15 | 0.53 | – | – |
| Nov | 0.47 | 0.56 | 0.84 | 0.36 | – | – |
| Dec | 0.31 | 0.34 | 0.65 | 0.27 | – | – |
| Year | 12 | 17.11 | 15.5 | 7.37 | – | – |
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 6
Rated moderate water in the Central Valley, like Persian cyclamen. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.
CannasCanna spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
GladiolusGladiolus hybrids & selectionsmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Spanish IrisIris xiphiummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Creeping ButtercupRanunculus spp. (summer growing)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
AlliumAllium spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Poppy AnemoneAnemone coronariamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySimilar plants that need less water 9
Rated lower than Persian cyclamen in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.
Star of BethlehemOrnithogalum arabicumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Ivy Leaf CyclamenCyclamen hederifoliumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Summer SnowflakeLeucojum aestivumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
White Rain LilyZephyranthes candidalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
HyacinthHyacinthus spp.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Sea SquillDrimia maritimalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Naked LadyAmaryllis belladonnavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in July
DaffodilNarcissus spp.very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in July
Giant ScillaScilla peruviana (Scilla hughii)very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyTurn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes Persian 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 should I water Persian cyclamen in summer?
In July, established Persian cyclamen needs about 1.9 gallons in the Central Valley, 1.4 gallons on the south coast and 0.7 gallons in the South Inland zone each week, for a plant 2 feet across. Water deeply and let the top of the soil dry before the next watering. Skip a watering after a soaking rain.
How much water does Persian cyclamen need per day?
In July in the Central Valley, established Persian cyclamen needs about 0.3 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 1.1 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 Persian cyclamen change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates Persian cyclamen separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, low water in the South Inland zone, not suited to this region in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, not suited to this region in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.
Why is my cyclamen dying in summer?
It is most likely going dormant. Persian cyclamen grows through the cool season and drops its leaves as summer heat arrives. Keep the tuber nearly dry until new leaves show in fall.
How do I water cyclamen without rotting it?
Apply water at the edge of the pot or bed, or water from below, and keep the crown dry. Wait until the top of the mix feels dry before the next watering. A soft tuber means rot has already started.
Can Persian cyclamen grow outdoors in California?
Yes, in mild-winter gardens with part shade and well-drained soil. It is frost tender, so a hard freeze can kill it. Where frost is common, keep it in a pot you can move under cover.
Is cyclamen poisonous to pets?
Yes, the tuber is poisonous, though its toxicity is rated low in severity. Keep dormant pots and loose tubers away from pets and children.
Should I deadhead cyclamen?
Yes. Removing spent flowers encourages more blooms through the season. Take off the whole faded stem along with the bloom.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Cyclamen persicum and hybrids (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