Super Serie Elegante: innovative Cyclamen
The success story of heat tolerant Cyclamen from Schoneveld Breeding began with the large flowered Super Serie Leopardo. With the launch of its smaller sibling, Super Serie Elegante, the heat tolerant range of Cyclamen takes the market by storm with yet another innovative product. Head of breeding Gerard Zwiers, area manager Southern Europe Gianfranco de Leo and growing support specialist Rick Slingschröder enthusiastically highlight the strong features of this midi Cyclamen.
How it all began
Head of breeding Gerard Zwiers began the search for a midi Cyclamen that blooms faster and performs exceptionally in warm climates after receiving inquiries from the United States. The goal was a heat tolerant powerhouse comparable to the large flowered Leopardo, but sized between the smaller Carino and larger Allure.
Gerard explains: “At the same time, we aimed to maintain the renowned Super Serie quality our customers expect. This meant prioritising uniformity, a compact plant structure, and abundant flowers on sturdy stems as key attributes.”
Super Serie Elegante is notably quick, flowering approximately ten days sooner than typical products. Gerard adds: “We’ve created an easy-to-grow, rounded plant that requires minimal attention from growers.” Developing such a promising product was no simple achievement. It was an intensive process for Gerard and his team, involving extensive trials in warm regions like Italy.
At Schoneveld Breeding, products are rigorously tested under varied conditions, and Super Serie Elegante demonstrated strong development even in hot climates. These heat tolerant traits ensure the plant thrives in diverse regions around the world.
Cultivating Super Serie Elegante
Gerard notes: “Super Serie Elegante is relatively straightforward to grow. Growers should be cautious not to restrict its size too much, but otherwise, it is quite easy to cultivate.” Grower adviser Rick Slingschröder elaborates: “Minimal intervention is needed. With the right fertilisation strategy – starting with nitrogen-rich and then shifting to potassium-rich – Elegante develops thick stems. It’s a robust plant that resists diseases like Botrytis.”
For growers, Super Serie Elegante is a significant asset, showcasing a spectacular bloom right from the start. Unlike the typical 8 to 10 flowers, Elegante starts with as many as 15 flowers, which continue to appear. However, growers should be mindful not to introduce Elegante too early, as Rick cautions: “Planting too early results in scattered blooming.”
The flowering period in Northern Europe spans August and September, while in warmer climates, Elegante remains impressive into October. Extensive tests in hot conditions confirmed that the flowering time remains consistent under higher temperatures. “This means Super Serie Elegante flowers faster than conventional non heat tolerant midi Cyclamen,” Rick shares enthusiastically.
“Position Elegante at the right time, and the yield per square metre is exceptionally favourable. Its compact nature contributes to this benefit. Additionally, harvesting is efficient, with around 90% of the yield collected in the first round. It’s a low-maintenance plant.”
Commercial success of Super Serie Elegante
With its inherent heat tolerance, abundant blooms, and ease of cultivation, area manager Southern Europe Gianfranco de Leo finds it easy to captivate growers. “Schoneveld Breeding had no summer-flowering Cyclamen in the midi segment with Super Serie qualities until now. With Elegante, we have effectively extended the midi Cyclamen season.” Allure suits the autumn, Macro is ideal for late autumn to early winter, and Elegante extends the season to start in summer, providing growers with a strong, high-quality midi Cyclamen.
Elegante requires minimal intervention from growers and continues producing foliage independently. As the smaller sibling of the heat tolerant powerhouse Leopardo and the older sister to Super Serie Verano, Super Serie Elegante completes the heat tolerant collection. Heat tolerance is becoming an increasingly vital trait in the face of global warming. Gianfranco reflects: “A few years ago, temperatures in Italy soared beyond 40 degrees. It was intense! Yet, Elegante continued to bloom beautifully without any issues. It’s a premium product for growers, retailers, and consumers alike.”
Super Serie Elegante is available in seven appealing colours.