Cyclamen coum f. albissimum ‘Warm White’
This forma albissimum cultivar was registered by the late Melvyn Jope in January 2025.
Melvyn said: ‘I was first given a plant of C. coum f. albissimum by Jan Bravenboer on one of his regular visits to Wisley. In 2017, after Jan’s death, there was an informal distribution of Jans stock of seed by Gert Jan van de Kolk. Among other things l was given seed of a C. coum f. albissimum. The seedlings were all identical to the plant Jan had given me earlier.
I’ve grown them on but didn’t really take a lot of notice of them until recently, when there were a lot of plants on sale at Wisley. They were part of a mixed group of C. hederifolium, C. purpurascens and C. coum and sold as Winter Cyclamen – they probably originated from Aad Koen.
In December 2024 I posted a photo of this C. coum f. albissimum saying that it was a bargain at four for £10. Diane Clement responded asking if they could be f. albissimum when the flower stalks were not green.
The next thing l saw was Marco ten Hoope posting a photo calling it Improved Golan Heights, but that cannot be an accepted name [according to The International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants].
Knowing that Tivvy at the RHS Wisley herbarium wanted herbarium samples of cyclamen cultivars l decided to get it offered to the herbarium and at the same time register it with the Society. Both have now been done.’
When asked where the name ‘Warm White’ came from, he said that it was partly in recognition of the fact that the petioles and pedicels were a warm red colour. Melvyn thought that Jan Bravenboer had raised the plant sometime around 2014. It apparently comes 100% true from seed.
Description
White (NN155C) Cyclamen coum flowers without a coloured nose. Pedicels and petioles are a moderate red (183D) and this extends slightly along the main leaf veins. The leaves are a matt plain moderate olive green (147A) with prominent veins. The underside of the leaves are green with a very slight pink colouring. Note: colour values are from the RHS colour chart.