Plant Care Polka Dot Plant

Polka Dot Plant

4.2 out of 5 (292 experiences)

Polka Dot Plant has a Fast grower plant personality Fast grower
Polka Dot Plant has a Survivor plant personality Survivor

About Polka Dot Plant

The polka dot plant is a small, charismatic houseplant that can be found in a variety of colors ranging from white, to pink, red, and purple. With excellent care, you may be able to get them to blossom! They produce delightful small pink flowers when given enough sunlight. 🌸

Taxonomy

Hypoestes phyllostachya
Hypoestes
Acanthaceae
Lamiales

How to care for Polka Dot Plant

💦 Water

How often to water your Polka Dot Plant

Water needs for Polka Dot Plant
0.5 cups
every 9

Polka Dot Plant needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 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.

Calculate water needs of Polka Dot Plant

Water 0.5 cups every
9

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

Select the pot size

5"
☀️ Light

Finding light for Polka Dot Plant in your home

Light needs and placement for plant Polka Dot Plant: 3ft from a window
3ft or less from
a window

Polka Dot Plant 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 Plant in your home 🏡.

🪴 Nutrients

How to fertilize Polka Dot Plant

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Polka Dot Plant: 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 Plant after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

Browse #PolkaDotPlant
💡 FAQs
⭐ Difficulty Level

Polka Dot Plant 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!

Benefits of Growing Polka Dot Plant →

Common Polka Dot Plant Problems →


💦 Water Needs

Polka Dot Plant 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 Plant Water Frequency →

Polka Dot Plant Root Rot →


☀️ Sunlight Needs

Polka Dot Plant 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 Plant Light Requirements →

Polka Dot Plant Direct Sunlight Needs & Tolerance →


🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity

Polka Dot Plant is not known to cause harm to humans or pets. Regardless, if you, a family member, a cat, or dog has ingested any plant material, please consult a doctor or a veterinarian.

Polka Dot Plant Toxicity to Cats →

Polka Dot Plant Toxicity to Dogs →

Polka Dot Plant Toxicity to Humans →


💨 Humidity

Polka Dot Plant 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 Plant Humidity Needs →


🪴 Soil

Polka Dot Plant 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 Plant →

When and How to Successfully Repot Polka Dot Plant →


💩 Fertilizer

Polka Dot Plant 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 Plant →


❄️ Dormancy

  • Temperature dependent
  • Based on plant health
    • Depending on their conditions, your Polka Dot Plant may go dormant. Dormancy in this species is typically in response to poor light or a lack of water. You’ll know your plant has gone dormant when their growth slows down substantially. Depending on the cause, your plant can be coaxed out of dormancy by increasing their access to light or watering more often.


🌎 Native Region

Polka Dot Plant is native to South Africa, Madagascar, and Southeast Asia.


🌸 Flowers

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

Polka Dot Plant Flowers →


⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern

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

How and When to Prune Polka Dot Plant →


🌦️ Growing Outdoors

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

Polka Dot Plant Temperature Tolerance →


🌱 Propagation

Polka Dot Plant 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 Plant →


🍂 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 Plant, 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.


Care Summary for Polka Dot Plant

Polka Dot Plant

Polka Dot Plant


Greg recommends:

Water

0.5 cups every 9 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

Polka Dot Plant has a Fast grower plant personality Fast grower 154
Polka Dot Plant has a Survivor plant personality Survivor 116
Polka Dot Plant has a Browns easily plant personality Browns easily 84
Polka Dot Plant has a Blooms easily plant personality Blooms easily 49
Polka Dot Plant has a Large, lush leaves plant personality Large, lush leaves 39
Polka Dot Plant has a Easy to propagate plant personality Easy to propagate 29
Polka Dot Plant has a Pest magnet plant personality Pest magnet 11
Al avatar
@Al
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 144 XP
globe Walnut Creek, CA
03/29/2022

This plant is really dramatic, if it looks “dead” it’s not, it just needs water.

Fast grower Fast grower
@Lisyer avatar
@@Lisyer
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 1,198 XP
02/21/2022

Super fast growing, grew 4 times it’s size in 1,5 months for me. Likes water quite often, if water missed by a day or two - leaves drop.

Fast grower Fast grower
Survivor Survivor
@mzulie avatar
@@mzulie
leaf-1 7 Plants
xp 401 XP
globe New York
02/13/2022

She’s so dramatic but she’s so pretty. Must be kept under a watchful eye

Blooms easily Blooms easily
@bickyyamyam avatar
@@bickyyamyam
leaf-1 3 Plants
xp 155 XP
01/26/2022

The plants wilts a lot, and has a really short lifespan (although you can definitely propagate it).

Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
@SirBlueoak avatar
@@SirBlueoak
leaf-1 2 Plants
xp 54 XP
01/20/2022

Very easy to grow! Even for brown thumbs!

Survivor Survivor
Fast grower Fast grower
@thickynicky avatar
@@thickynicky
leaf-1 1 Plants
xp 157 XP
globe San Jose, CA
01/16/2022

Pretty easy plant to take care of, especially for lazy people ✨ Plant is supposed to be watered when soil gets pretty dry so you don’t have to water very frequently, between 5-7 days. Also they are super pretty 😍

Fast grower Fast grower
Survivor Survivor
@tango avatar
@@tango
leaf-1 38 Plants
xp 6,226 XP
12/29/2021

This plant is awesome! Had to repot after the first 3 weeks due to major growth! Bounces back from about anything, definitely recline to.

Fast grower Fast grower
Survivor Survivor
Browns easily Browns easily
@tasteofvanilla0 avatar
@@tasteofvanilla0
leaf-1 3 Plants
xp 221 XP
globe Dallas, TX
11/27/2021

People say it’s a hard plant to keep alive but she’s seeming to thrive everyday! Do some research on basic care needs for this plant and you’ll be good.

Fast grower Fast grower
Survivor Survivor
Browns easily Browns easily
Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
@next2happy avatar
@@next2happy
leaf-1 18 Plants
xp 763 XP
11/06/2021

Keep in the west window and water when dry. Give orchid food x1 a month.

Fast grower Fast grower
Blooms easily Blooms easily
@Stephanie_Swizzlestick avatar
@@Stephanie_Swizzlestick
leaf-1 10 Plants
xp 451 XP
globe Williston, ND
10/25/2021

Make sure to trim so it grows better! I didn’t and I made that mistake with my first one.

@gizmo avatar
@@gizmo
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 245 XP
globe Norwich, England
10/24/2021

dramatic as hell. i forget to water her for one day and she’s brown and drooping. luckily, a quick water fixes that and she grows so quickly. rly pretty to look at. i love her!!!

Fast grower Fast grower
Survivor Survivor
@natshajoyce avatar
@@natshajoyce
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 163 XP
globe Ottawa, Ontario
10/24/2021

love the pink colour

Fast grower Fast grower
Survivor Survivor
@supersommeyplantmama369 avatar
@@supersommeyplantmama369
leaf-1 17 Plants
xp 348 XP
globe Marietta, GA
10/16/2021

I grew these baby’s from seeds and they were my first seeds to ever sprout they’ve done great and I’d definitely recommend them to first timers and anyone else who wants a pretty piece to add to their collection.

Fast grower Fast grower
Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Blooms easily Blooms easily
Survivor Survivor
Meagan avatar
@Meagan
leaf-1 22 Plants
xp 619 XP
globe Grapevine, TX
10/10/2021

The leaves get wilty when thirsty but perk up SO quickly when watered! Shows you what it needs and responds lovingly to care.

Blooms easily Blooms easily
Survivor Survivor
@eric avatar
@@eric
leaf-1 16 Plants
xp 5,086 XP
globe Burnsville, NC
10/07/2021

If this plant looks dead, give it some water and in a few hours it will completely forgive your negligence 😁

Fast grower Fast grower
Survivor Survivor
Claire avatar
@Claire
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 159 XP
globe Knoxville, TN
09/29/2021

withered immediately and would not sprout up again

@barrcoop avatar
@@barrcoop
leaf-1 22 Plants
xp 509 XP
globe Phillipsburg, NJ
09/27/2021

Don’t over water

Blooms easily Blooms easily
Tracy avatar
@Tracy
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 74 XP
globe Pittsburgh, PA
09/25/2021

It was a vibrant reddish plant when purchased and it is going green and leggy. Will pinch back and see how it fares! Heard they do not like a lot of sun, so kept in indirect light only.

Browns easily Browns easily
@icantwink avatar
@@icantwink
leaf-1 25 Plants
xp 960 XP
globe Hoppers Crossing, Victoria
09/16/2021

I have a small mini one! It’s so cute and the range of colours is beautiful! Very thirsty though!

Fast grower Fast grower
Blooms easily Blooms easily

Trending in your area

Similar to Polka Dot Plant

Discover rare plants