The pretty flowers of ivy-leaved cyclamen, Cyclamen hederifolium, are very similar to the commoner Greek cyclamen C. graecum, but can easily be recognised by the leaves, which as the name suggests resemble those of ivy, however the flowers usually appear before the leaves, so often it is not possible to differentiate the them.  The flowering time is autumn, overlapping with the flowering time of C. graecum but generally appearing a little later. They generally prefer moister shadier situations than C. graecum but the two species can sometimes be seen growing side by side. The flowers are typical of cyclamen with sharply reflexed petals, often twisting into intriguing shapes. They vary in colour from palest pink to deep magenta and a purplish- pink known as cyclamen; many have darker markings at the throat.

The corms do not produce smaller new corms but they get larger and larger each year producing more leaves and flowers.