What type of Houseplant do I have?

Question

I have been given a plant that my Mum got as an unwanted Christmas present!
Anyway we don't know what type of plant it is but I really like it want to be able to care for it properly.
It has bright red flowers that look a bit like poppies and oval-roundish green leaves with lighter green patches on them. (Hope that makes sense)
The plant seems quite sensitive to changes, earlier this afternoon when I went into the kitchen, it looked like it was dying so I gave it lots of water even though the compost was moist and now it seems to have sprung back into life! If anyone has any ideas I would be really grateful, thanks

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

It sounds like a cyclamen. If it is, it will have a large bulb with the top just sticking up out of the soil.

Keep it on a light windowsill. It's best to water it by standing the pot in a bowl of water coming half-way up the pot for about 10 minutes. If the top of the bulb keeps getting wet, it might rot.

After a while, the flowers will fade. When they are no longer decorative, pinch the whole flower stem out and it will grow some more.

You'll find that from time to time you get a crop of flowers, they die off and you get a crop of leaves. If it stops producing flowers or leaves, stop watering it and put it in a dark place for a couple of weeks. Then water it well and put it back in the light and it will flower again.

Answer 2

any chance of a photo?