This means not sitting small houseplant pots in a saucer of water. There are over 100 species of polka dots, all with different shades of color and patterns. When the top 1” (2.5 cm) is dry, that is the ideal time to water your plant. The ideal temperature for polka dot plant seed to germinate is between 70 and 75°F (21 – 23°C). The foliage is the main reason to grow this plant. Polka dot plant propagation is best done from cuttings. The plant will give you the best color when it is in a low light situation, but this causes the canes to lengthen and get leggy while searching for light. The polka dot plant is a hungry plant and a fairly heavy feeding plant. Seeds germinate in warm, moist soils where temperatures are 70-75 F. (21-27 C.). With regular pruning, you can have a gorgeous bushy shrub with pink, white, red, or purple spotted leaves. The two essential factors for caring for a polka dot plant are temperature and humidity. All kinds of polka dot plants have a growth habit of becoming leggy. Pinch the tips to keep it down in size. You can get healthy polka dot plants by using soil that has plenty of organic matter and has a porous mix. A polka dot plant thrives in fertile, moist soil that is well-draining. Always water the soil, not the leaves, to prevent damaging the polka-dotted leaves. You can encourage healthy growth if you give your polka dot plant enough fertilizer. Pinching some of the branches is also essential to prevent your polka dot from becoming leggy. Older plants tend to get leggy, but you can control legginess by cutting the canes back to lower growth and letting the plant fill in. Although this is a flowering plant, its flowers aren’t showy and can’t compete with the wonderfully colored leaves. However, you will find that cultivated varieties in the garden are smaller. Not letting the splash plant sit in water helps prevent root rot due to soggy soil. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Picture of Hypoestes phyllostachya ‘White Splash’ cultivar. 12 bids. Your polka dot plant needs bright sunlight to keep the vibrant pink, red, white, or green splash patterns on the leaves. You can feed this colorful houseplant more often, just be sure to follow the directions on the fertilizer packaging. Polka dot plants are easy to propagate. $19.99 $ 19. Bright, vibrant specks, dots, splashes, blotches, or marbling effects create unique patterns on the green leaves. Different cultivars have red and green, white and green, or shades of green polka dots. See more ideas about plant care, plants, house plants. Sign up for our newsletter. Small pink or purple flowers also add to the beautiful colorful freckled foliage. The easiest method for growing a polka dot plant, however, is from cuttings. You should cut just below the stem node. Keep it evenly moist until the cutting roots and then treat it like a mature plant. Fairly easy to care for and propagate. Plant your polka dots in a bright location where they get sun and also partial shade. see more; Synonyms Hypoestes sanguinolenta Eranthemum sanguinolentum. Caring for Your Polka Dot Plant Light Polka dot is an easy to grow indoor plant. Remove terminal growth at a node and pull off the leaves closest to the end. You should stop feeding your splash plant if it stops producing leaves in winter. Polka Dots grow best in a humid environment, so occasional misting is helpful for the lushest foliage. The Polka Dot plant, Hypoestes phyllostachya, needs bright light but not full sun. During the fall and winter, you should feed your polka dot plant less. Temperature. Other common names for the polka dot plant include freckle face plant and splash plant. Polka dot plants are well suited for indoor use anywhere but you can also grow them as annuals in temperate to warm zones. A: Your polka-dot plant, Hypoestes phyllostachya, is easily propagated at any time of the year. Add color and texture to any flower bed by using 1.00 PT items to compliment the perennials and shrubs in your landscape. Seeds germinate in warm, moist soils where temperatures are 70-75 F. (21-27 C.). Whether in a terrarium, pot or planter, this is one of my favorite plants to place around my home. These will tend to dry out quicker than large containers. So, pinch off any new flowers that appear to prevent the plant wilting and dying. The ideal temperature range for polka dot begonias is between 65°F and 86°F (16°C – 30°C). Provide temperatures of at least 60 F. (16 C.). Hypoestes plants are excellent indoor plants due to their ornamental value. "It fills space nicely in a mixed container, particularly with other intensely colored foliage plants like coleus. Part of the Latin name means “with a leaf spike,” referring to the pointed end of the ovate-shaped leaves. With a little care, your plant will continue to grow spotted leaves with pink, white, or red colors. Types of Peperomia (Radiator Plants) - With Pictures, Croton Plant: Care and Growing Guide of Codiaeum Variegatum (With Pictures), Indoor Hanging Plants: Easy to Care for Hanging Houseplants (With Pictures), Coleus Care: How to Grow Colorful Coleus Plant Indoors and Outdoors, Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes Phyllostachya): Care, and Splash Plant Growing Tips, Types of Jade Plants (Crassula Varieties) with Pictures, Wandering Jew Plant (Tradescantia or Spiderwort): Care & Types, Nerve Plant (Fittonia Plant): Caring for Vein Plants. In its native habitat, the plant can get up to 3 feet (.9 m.) in height, but pot grown specimens will usually be smaller. Polka dot plants also grow in indirect sunlight and will keep their color. Indoor splash plants usually come in small pots. Shop a huge online selection at eBay.com. So, if you have a collection of polka dot plants in different shades, regularly monitor soil moisture levels. All your polka dot needs to prevent straggly stem is light pinching once a week. The flowers are small and tubular-shaped. Polka dot plants are delightful flowering houseplants that have splashes of pink, white, red, or light green leaves. Use 1/2 teaspoon of the fertilizer, dissolved in 1 gallon of water and pour it over the soil around the polka dot plant. Polka Dot plant is an evergreen tropical subshrub noted for its green leaves which are spotted with rose, pink or lavender. The reason for a pink splash plant losing its color is generally due to lighting issues. However, they need bright conditions to retain their freckled or speckled patterns. Polka Dot plant or Hypoestes phyllostachya is a small, colourful plant with different coloured dots on contrasting leaves. However, your polka dot plant should grow well indoors in temperatures as low as 60°F (16°C). Polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya) is an evergreen shrub that is native to Madgascar.It is grown for its colorful foliage. ... Angel Wing Begonia Maculata Polka Dot Plant Pink Flowers Starter Plant. You can then transfer your colorful plant to suitable soil for polka dots. You can easily propagate polka dot plants from cuttings. Breeders have developed many other varieties, some of which have the green mottled spotting, but others are dotted with other hues. Usually, thorough watering will help revive your drooping polka dot plant. Polka dot plants thrive in average household temperatures between 70 and 75°F (21 – 23°C). Polka-dot Plant is a very beautiful excellent plant as a shrub along a fence or as a border! The polka dot plant has the scientific name Hypoestes phyllostachya and is in the plant family Acanthaceae. Keep it evenly moist until the cutting roots and then treat it like a … Fast & Free shipping on many items! Polka dots need bright light but not full sun, so you will want to move the plant in a place outdoors that meets this lighting criteria as well as keep it out of the damaging rain. Indoors, it prefers filtered sun and rich, well-drained soil. If the short lifespan is a drawback of Polka dot plant, an easy propagation is certainly its advantage. Daily misting is the best way to get enough moisture for the leaves. One tip to know when to water your polka dot plant is to wait until the top part of the soil has dried out. Getting enough light will help to keep the colored leaves vibrant and prevent legginess. Polka Dot Plant. By: Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist. $51.00. The polka dot patterns on the small plants’ leaves add plenty of color to any room or backyard. Many houseplant enthusiasts say that blooming seems to coincide with a polka dot plant dying. When you see pictures of variegated leaves of polka dot plants, it is easy to see how they get their name. During spring and summer, when growth is the fastest, use a liquid houseplant feed once a month. To thrive, your polka dot plant needs just enough watering to keep the soil moist. Sometimes called freckle-face, this plant is well named and produces colorful foliage splashed with patches of white, pink or rose on a green background. In the picture: Hypoestes phyllostachya ‘Red Splash Select’. Indirect sunlight is best for polka dot plant care. Step 4 How often should you pinch off leaves? Make sure the plant isn’t in a location where water gathers, or you risk getting root rot. Pink polka dot is the most popular variety with shades of pink splashes on green leaves. Put them in a mass of ferns or ivies, and their colors will stand out in bright contrast. What is Polka Dot Plant? Usually, some fertilizer every other month should be enough. This misting is especially necessary when the central heating is on or if your room has a dry atmosphere. An interesting bit of polka dot plant info is that the plant was miscategorized for years. The tiny blossoms are usually blue, lavender, pink, or purple. When you have roots at least 1” (2.5 cm) in length, transfer to a small pot with soil that is rich in organic matter. It may take some time for roots to appear, so patience is essential. The polka dot plant grows well indoors, and the roots system of the plant establishes itself quickly, regardless of the change in its environment. Indirect bright sunlight is the ideal location for this plant indoors. Having organic-rich soil also gives your freckle face plant plenty of nutrients. Outdoor plants need little supplemental feeding but indoor plants should be fed once per month. Recipes From The Garden: Pressure Cooking Root Vegetables, Gratitude For The Garden – Being Grateful For Each Growing Season, 7 Reasons To Do Your Garden Shopping Locally, Thankful Beyond Words – What Represents Gratefulness In My Garden. $5.95 shipping. As a colorful indoor houseplant, splash plants can grow quickly and will grow to between 4” and 20” (10 – 50 cm). The plant is only perennial in zones 10 and 11. Read more articles about Polka Dot Plants. This petite, spotted foliage plant has become a popular staple in annual shade containers, in terrariums and dish gardens due to its attractive, freckled leaves in pink, red, white and dark green, and due to its compact, rounded, "filler" habit. Use a balanced fertilizer, such as 20-20-20. The plant's small size means it won't make much of an impact in an outdoor garden but can add a pretty accent to a small-scale planter. All you have to do is pinch off a few leaves from the top of the plant when they appear. Because polka dot plants grow in tropical and subtropical climates, they are well-suited to the indoor environment. The plants do get a bit leggy if you grow them in big pots outdoors on the patio. What do polka dot plant flowers look like? Many varieties of polka dot plants are grown as annuals outdoors. This is a tropical plant that’s native to Madagascar, making it either a house plant or annual in most of the United States. Growing a polka dot plant outside requires well-drained but moist soil with plenty of organic matter. Because the foliage is so colorful, the flowers don’t add to the plant’s ornamental value. Some varieties of polka dot plants also have freckled or marbled leaves in multiple shades. outdoor containers indoors as a houseplant - The polka dot plant has a long history of growth as a houseplant. Polka dot plant brings fun and color to the world of foliage plants; with contrasting green and pink leaves it has a playful quality. Remember to keep the houseplant out of drafts as they can chill your indoor plant too much. The Splash Series comes in a host of colors with a green base leaf and mottled splashes of color in pink, white, rose or red. 41 watching. Let’s look in more detail at how to care for your Hypoestes phyllostachya plant. How to care for polka dot plant (Hypoestes Phyllostachya): Grow your polka dot plant in well-draining soil, provide adequate humidity, and bright indirect light. A covered porch might be a … Provide high humidity and moderate temperature. There are purple, scarlet, lavender and white speckled leaves. 11. A warm room and humid conditions make for the perfect environment for polka dot plants to thrive. If you have cold winters where the temperature drops below 60°F (16°C), then it’s best to grow polka dot plants in containers or pots and bring them indoors. Dip the cutting in rooting hormone and put it in a soilless growing medium such as peat moss. Family Acanthaceae . Although the pink-green, white-green, or red-green leaves are always attractive, the long straggling stems can give the small plant a scruffy look. Although polka dot plants are on the list of easy-to-care-for houseplants, following a few care tips will help your plant thrive. Growing outdoors, a polka dot plant will reach heights of 3 ft. (90 cm). Native to Madagascar, South Africa, and Southeast Asia, polka dot plants are small and shrub-like. Polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya) is a delicate tropical foliage plant once relegated to the role of novelty houseplant.It has gained more popularity as an annual outdoors, brightening borders and adding to container plantings. Keep the moss moist until healthy roots appear. Usually, issues with watering are the main reason why your polka dot plant is dying. In this image: Hypoestes phyllostachya ‘Pink Splash Select’. Growing in the wild, polka dots can reach up to 3 ft. (90 cm) in height. If you live in a climate that’s warm year round, Polka Dot Plants can be grown outdoors as perennials that reach up to 3 feet tall! Also called freckle face plant, this houseplant can grow in any type of indirect light but has best color in lower light situations. One sign that your polka dot plant requires watering is if the stems start to wilt. Polka dot plants rarely need repotting. Polka dot plants are the perfect type of plant if you want to grow in your yard as they have fantastic colorful foliage.