The Polka Dot Plant

The Polka Dot plant is yet another lovely ornamental plant that can easily be grown in pots and hence very well suited for apartments. When I first saw this sapling in the nursery, I actually thought it was a coleus variety. But the leaves are much smaller than the coleus and it actually belongs to the Acanthaceae Family. They are available in many nurseries. Although I bought it from the Army Nursery, I saw many roadside nurseries selling them. In Hyderabad, this is the right time to get hold of them. The weather till next March is going to be beautiful and they will certainly flourish.

Polka Dot Plants - Hypoestes phyllostachya

These plants are very easy to grow. The scientific name of the plant is Hypoestes phyllostachya. The don't need much of sunlight. I give the plant about three to four hours of bright sunlight and they they get dappled shade. What I love about this plant is the lovely vibrant color of the foliage that makes it standout so well against other plants with green foliage. It certainly enhances your indoor decor. I mean you have a party or invite guests home, you can show this plant off in your living room strategically placed to invite lots of "oohs" and "aahs" :).

Planting Polka Dot Saplings

I potted these with the usual combo of vermicompost, soil, coco peat and added a large table spoon of NPK fertilizer in a medium sized pot. I have managed to get two varieties of these plants. One with pink 'polka dots' and one with white. There are a few more varieties of these and I am trying to get hold of it.

Care For the Plant

The plant does not take too long to shoot up new leaves (just 1 week for me). I had to just ensure that the soil is well drained. The plant also loves humidity. Since there have been a lot of rains in Hyderabad, I had to keep it away from direct rains and ensure that it got just the right amount of water. The plant above is just a month old and growing beautifully.