If I lived in southern California I would try all kinds of Cyclamen, particularly the noble forms of C. graecum from the Peloponnese with their wonderful variety of leaf forms. Best success is had with fresh seed, which I believe is best obtained by joining the Cyclament Society (I don't belong to it but have some generous friends). As for C. persicum, a volunteer seedling came up in my bulb frame a few years ago and has survived temperatures down to 20F/minus 6 C there, protected from moisture on the leaves during freezes; it flowers well and has produced more volunteer seedlings. Because Cyclamen seed is attractive to ants, the young plants come up all over between the pots and I get them (or most of them) when I lift the pots in midsummer; then I have tubers to try in the garden, where most of them probably just froze to death. Jane McGary Northwestern Oregon, USA