Polka Dot Plant
Hypoestes phyllostachya
Polka dot plant is a small, bushy plant with leaves splashed in pink, red or white. It is grown for its colourful foliage in pots, terrariums and shaded borders.
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr · CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Essential Care Requirements
Light
Bright indirect light, Partial sun
Watering
Moderate
Keep the soil lightly moist; it wilts quickly when dry.
Soil
Well-drained potting mix with compost; pH 6.0–7.0.
Temperature and humidity
12–32 °C · Moderate humidity
Feeding
Feed monthly with a diluted fertilizer.
Pruning and propagation
Propagate by seed, stem cuttings
Pinch often to keep it bushy, and remove flower spikes.
Polka dot plant is not toxic to people, cats or dogs.
Top Cultivation Tips
Bright indirect light keeps the colours vivid.
Cuttings root in water.
Replace leggy plants with cuttings.
Mix colours in one pot.
Common problems
Aphids
Small, soft-bodied insects that cluster on new shoots and buds, sucking sap and leaving sticky honeydew behind.
How to treat it →DiseasePowdery mildew
A fungal disease that coats leaves, buds and young shoots with a white, flour-like dust, weakening the plant and spoiling flowers and fruit.
How to treat it →PestWhiteflies
Small white flying insects that gather under leaves, sucking sap, spreading viruses and leaving sticky honeydew.
How to treat it →
