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Polka Dot Begonia

4.6 out of 5 (162 experiences)

Fast grower

Large, lush leaves

About Polka Dot Begonia

There are over 2,000 species of Begonia, and horticulturalists have created even more varities by cultivating all sorts of shapes and colors! They're native to tropical regions around the world, but are now found in homes in cold climates as well. Their taxonomy is far more complex than other plants, with species belonging to different cultivar groups. They contain oxalic acid, so be sure to keep them out of reach in homes with pets or children! ⚠️

Taxonomy

Scientific name

Begonia maculata

Genus

Begonia

Family

Begoniaceae

Order

Cucurbitales

Also known as

Spotted Begonia, Trout Begonia, Begonia corallina, Begonia flamingo and queen

How to care for Polka Dot Begonia

💦 Water

How often to water your Polka Dot Begonia

Polka Dot Begonia needs 0.5 cups of water every 7 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Water 0.5 cups every
7

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

No Yes

Select the pot size

☀️ Light

Finding light for Polka Dot Begonia in your home

Polka Dot Begonia may have difficulty thriving, and will drop leaves 🍃, without ample sunlight.

Place it less than 3 feet from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.

Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Polka Dot Begonia in your home 🏡.

🪴 Nutrients

How to fertilize Polka Dot Begonia

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Polka Dot Begonia: repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Polka Dot Begonia after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

Browse #Begonia

💡 FAQs

⭐ Difficulty Level

Polka Dot Begonia is generally easy to care for, though some plant parents report facing challenges with growing it. Check out the reviews down below to read more about their experiences!

How to Grow Polka Dot Begonia →

Benefits of Growing Polka Dot Begonia →

Indoor Care Guide for Polka Dot Begonia →

Outdoor Care Guide for Polka Dot Begonia →

💦 Water Needs

Polka Dot Begonia prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Polka Dot Begonia Water Frequency →

Polka Dot Begonia Root Rot →

☀️ Sunlight Needs

Polka Dot Begonia may have difficulty thriving and will drop leaves 🍃 without ample sunlight. Place it less than 3 feet from a window to maximize the potential for growth. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.

Polka Dot Begonia Light Requirements →

Polka Dot Begonia Direct Sunlight Needs & Tolerance →

🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity

Polka Dot Begonia is not safe to consume. If you, a family member, or a pet has ingested any amount of plant material contact Poison Control, US (800) 222-1222, or your veterinarian. If you have children, cats, or dogs in the home, we suggest keeping this plant out of reach.

💨 Humidity

Polka Dot Begonia doesn’t require additional humidity. Plants absorb most water through their root system rather than their leaves, so the best way to provide humidity for your plants is through watering the soil.

Polka Dot Begonia Humidity Needs →

🪴 Soil

Polka Dot Begonia does best in well-draining soil. A good soil will contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir as well as perlite or vermiculite to help with drainage. Adding a handful of perlite to regular store-bought potting soil should do the trick!

Best Soil Mix for Polka Dot Begonia →

Best Pots for Polka Dot Begonia →

When and How to Successfully Repot Polka Dot Begonia →

What Are Healthy Polka Dot Begonia Roots →

💩 Fertilizer

Polka Dot Begonia should be repotted after it doubles in size or once a year, whichever comes first. Fresh potting soil has all the nutrients your plant needs, so as long as it’s refreshed yearly, you shouldn’t need to use fertilizer. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!

How Much and When to Fertilize Polka Dot Begonia →

❄️ Dormancy

Polka Dot Begonia does not have a typical pattern of dormancy. If you notice their growth slowing down substantially, double check that they are getting enough sunlight and water to thrive!

🌎 Native Region

Polka Dot Begonia is native to Tropics and Subtropics worldwide.

🌸 Flowers

Yes, you may see your Polka Dot Begonia bloom with the right amount of sunlight and water.

Polka Dot Begonia Flowers →

Is Polka Dot Begonia an Annual Plant? →

Is Polka Dot Begonia a Perennial Plant? →

Polka Dot Begonia Pollination Guide →

Common Polka Dot Begonia Flower Problems →

⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern

Polka Dot Begonia grows vertically and new growth will emerge from the top of the plant.

Polka Dot Begonia Lifecycle →

Polka Dot Begonia Size Guide →

🌦️ Growing Outdoors

USDA Hardiness Zone
Polka Dot Begonia can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 10a-11b. Find your local hardiness zone here.

Polka Dot Begonia Temperature Tolerance →

Polka Dot Begonia Hardiness Zones →

Landscaping Ideas with Polka Dot Begonia →

When to Plant Polka Dot Begonia →

How to Plant Polka Dot Begonia →

Where to Plant Polka Dot Begonia →

Winter Care for Polka Dot Begonia →

Best Companion Plants for Polka Dot Begonia →

Is Polka Dot Begonia a Weed? →

🌱 Propagation

Polka Dot Begonia can be propagated by the stem method. To propagate:

Make a cut just above the node. The node is the break in the stem where the leaf emerges.
To get the cutting to root, you can either:
- Place the cutting in water until roots emerge and are ~2” long and then transplant into well-draining soil, or
- Place the cutting directly into well-draining soil and water when dry.

How to Propagate Polka Dot Begonia →

🍂 Yellow Leaves

Yellow leaves aren’t always a reason to panic, and can be a normal part of a plant’s life cycle. Unless brand new leaves are turning yellow or all the leaves change color at once, it’s likely just your plant shedding old leaves.

Overwatering and root rot are the most likely cause of problems in Polka Dot Begonia, since they are sensitive to wet soil. The leaves may also appear to be curling or drooping. Less often, yellow leaves are caused by underwatering, nutrient deficiencies, or pests.

Replace soggy soil with fresh, dry soil and download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!

🧐 Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.

Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.

Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.

Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.

Common Bugs Affecting Polka Dot Begonia →

What Eats Polka Dot Begonia? →

Care Summary for Polka Dot Begonia

Polka Dot Begonia

Greg recommends:

Water

0.5 cups every 7 days

Placement

< 3ft from a window

Nutrients

Repot after 2x growth

Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.

What other plant parents say

Fast grower 107

Large, lush leaves 97

Survivor 55

Easy to propagate 47

Browns easily 40

Blooms easily 26

Pest magnet 6

@@LeadCucumber

3 Plants

50 XP

Green Isle, MN

04/08/2022

Very easy to care for, grows fast, unique and fun colored

Fast grower

Easy to propagate

Large, lush leaves

Polka Dot Begonia plant photo by @LeadCucumber named Becky the hamster on Greg, the plant care app.

@@FastAster

2 Plants

63 XP

02/22/2022

easy to grow，the process of growing leaves is delightful

Survivor

Fast grower

Polka Dot Begonia plant photo by @FastAster named 鳟鱼秋海棠 on Greg, the plant care app.

@@MariansOasis

74 Plants

37,369 XP

01/23/2022

Grows fast even in winter. Gorgeous leaves!!

Fast grower

Large, lush leaves

Polka Dot Begonia plant photo by @MariansOasis named Cher on Greg, the plant care app.

@@Swellsquid768

70 Plants

2,236 XP

12/07/2021

I use orchid stakes and clips to keep it growing up instead of out.

Fast grower

Large, lush leaves

Easy to propagate

Polka Dot Begonia plant photo by @Swellsquid768 named Iamgroot on Greg, the plant care app.

@@AleahFrancesca

5 Plants

75 XP

Arlington, WA

11/15/2021

When it’s happy, its really happy. I got this plan a year ago it was really unhappy and only had 1 leaf. It currently has 25 full leaves and a a bunch of babies.

Fast grower

Large, lush leaves

Easy to propagate

Polka Dot Begonia plant photo by @AleahFrancesca named Brandy Drinkwine on Greg, the plant care app.

@@alycia_maree

120 Plants

2,509 XP

Perth, Western Australia

11/06/2021

This plant loves bathroom with great lighting and hot showers so it gets a good amount of humidity every morning/night

Fast grower

Large, lush leaves

Easy to propagate

Polka Dot Begonia plant photo by @alycia_maree named Spot on Greg, the plant care app.

@@Cassrose

51 Plants

1,155 XP

New York

11/05/2021

Super easy to propagate from. The leaves are a bit too tender for my liking. I’m a bit rough so it can easily damage leaves if I’m cleaning them.

Easy to propagate

Polka Dot Begonia plant photo by @Cassrose named Ebisu on Greg, the plant care app.

@@Roxanne

25 Plants

14,409 XP

Portland, OR

11/04/2021

Such a beautiful and rewarding plant to grow. She has polka dot leaves but my favorite are the red and pink hues under her leaves. She’s puts out a few leaves every month and is growing fast! I have her at a northwest facing window and she loves the bright light!

Fast grower

Polka Dot Begonia plant photo by @Roxanne named Bebel on Greg, the plant care app.

@@NellBell85

20 Plants

495 XP

Boulder, CO

09/17/2021

She’s so pretty with the pink on the leaves, cute flowers that show up pretty often, & have a beautiful pink color. The care is easy; I’m looking for another begonia to join it. I did have a trellis to give her some support. Shes one of my very favorite plants.

Fast grower

Large, lush leaves

Blooms easily

Survivor

Polka Dot Begonia plant photo by @NellBell85 named Betty on Greg, the plant care app.

@Judith

12 Plants

146 XP

Mesa, AZ

09/13/2021

Where i got mine, the roots were still wrapped in cloth and were suffocating the roots. Half my plant died.

Browns easily

Polka Dot Begonia plant photo by Judith named Your plant on Greg, the plant care app.

@@noneofyrbeesmax

51 Plants

10,615 XP

09/09/2021

This is just such a beautiful, fun plant! I have mine sitting in an east-facing windowsill and it’s thriving with the early morning light, and so far it hasn’t been fussy about watering either. It’s grown a new leaf just about every week or two, some are big and some are small. Such a lovely plant to watch grow with their beautiful spiraling buds and iridescent white dots!

Fast grower

Large, lush leaves