Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya)
Hypoestes phyllostachya

Evergreen Perennial (usually grown as an annual near you) Upright, Mounding in the Acanthaceae Family
A shade-loving foliage favorite, prized for its playful pink-and-green spotted leaves rather than its flowers.

Hypoestes phyllostachya, commonly called Polka Dot Plant, is a tender evergreen subshrub native to Madagascar, grown here as a colorful foliage annual, container plant, and houseplant. Its oval, pointed leaves are splashed with pink or rose spots against green, giving the plant its common name. Small, inconspicuous lilac to pale purple flowers appear on spikes in late summer, though many gardeners pinch them off to keep the plant's energy focused on foliage.

Reaching 1 to 2 feet tall and 9 to 12 inches wide, it forms an upright, mounding clump that thrives in part shade with consistently moist, well-drained soil. Not winter hardy outside USDA Zones 10a-11b, it's typically grown as a warm-season annual in the Chicago area, lifted and brought indoors as a houseplant, or simply replaced each spring.

Pros

  • Vividly spotted, colorful foliage all season long
  • Thrives in shade where many annuals struggle
  • Easy to propagate from cuttings
  • Doubles as a houseplant through winter

Cons

  • Not winter hardy; killed by first frost
  • Flowers are inconspicuous and usually removed
  • Can get leggy without regular pinching
  • Prone to mealybugs and aphids indoors
This plant is probably not winter-hardy outdoors where you live.
Highlights Grown for its vividly spotted pink-and-green foliage rather than its flowers, Polka Dot Plant is one of the most reliable colorful-foliage choices for shady beds, containers, and indoor light.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 12 - 24 inches tall. 9 - 12 inches wide.
Growth Rate Fast
Sun Exposure Full Shade - Partial Shade
Moisture Tolerance Medium : Prefers consistently moist soil; dislikes being allowed to dry out between waterings.
Zones 10a - 11b (Usually hardy to 30° F)
Tags Annual in Chicago, Colorful Foliage, Container, Evergreen, For a Shady Spot, Full Shade, Grown as Annuals, Grown For Attractive Foliage, House Plants, Insignificant Flowers, Medium, Non-Allergenic, Partial Shade, Perennial, Shade Tolerant, Tender Perennial, Tropical
Bloom Period Insignificant; often pinched off
Flower Color Lilac to Pale Purple
Foliage Color Green with Pink or Rose Spots
 

More Info from Experts

Commonly Planted with...

Pairs well in shaded beds and containers with other colorful shade-foliage plants, including Coleus, Begonias, Caladiums, and Impatiens.
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Pricing and Availability History

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!