An unique Christmas flower is also one of the most misunderstood flower gifts. Cyclamen, Cyclamen persicum, are considered winter annuals in Florida but are native to the Mediterranean. The ‘persicum’ hybrid is known as a florist’s variety and isn’t cold tolerant. There are over 20 varieties of cyclamen and the Cyclamen hederifolium is the most cold-hardy, tubers, growing into Zone 4. Cyclamens have attractive, heart-shaped leaves with beautiful upswept flowers. This fall-blooming flower goes dormant after blooming and most people think that it is dying or has died and they killed it.

Do not throw your cyclamens away if they die down. They are only going dormant. If you would like to keep them going, stop watering and let the soil dry out. Trim all the dead flowers and leaves. Place in a cool, dry location. In late summer, bring pot into a sunny location and start watering. Cyclamens are watered the same way as African violets from a saucer below it, so the roots can uptake the water.