Cyclamen earns its keep in the cool months, blooming for weeks on end when little else does. Swept-back petals in white, pink, red, or purple hover over a tidy mound of heart-shaped leaves marbled with silver, so the plant looks good even between flushes of flowers.

Give it bright, indirect light and the coolest room in the house; it blooms longest in the 50s and low 60s. Water when the top inch of soil dries, keeping water off the crown, and never let the pot sit soggy.