How to Grow and Care for Alpine violet

Persian cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum) is a flowering herbaceous perennial native to Turkey, Israel, northern Africa and some Greek islands. The persian cyclamen root can be combined with lime and added to lakes in order to stun fish. This method of fishing is banned in many jurisdictions.

Spring sowbread (Cyclamen repandum) is a flowering plant species native to southern Europe and some Mediterranean islands. Spring sowbread's scientific name means "bent back." This species can tolerate cold temperatures. This species can be differentiated from similar species Cyclamen hederifolium by the lack of ear-shaped lobes on its flowers called auricles.

Ivy-leaved cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium) is a flowering plant native to the Mediterranean region from France to Turkey. The ivy-leaved cyclamen is often cultivated in gardens because it is considered the most hardy species of the cyclamens. The Latin name Cyclamen hederifolium means "ivy leaf."

Purple cyclamen (Cyclamen purpurascens) is native to central and eastern Europe, where it grows under the leaf litter of woodlands or in high grasslands. It can be grown in the garden in humus-rich soil but often does better as a container plant indoors.

Flowers bloom in spring, are fragrant, and have 5 upswept white petals. Leaves are arrowhead-shaped and blue-green mottled with silver, with less sharply defined variegation than other cyclamens.