Polka dot plant

About Polka dot plant

The polka dot plant is a bushy little foliage plant from Madagascar whose soft green leaves are freckled or splashed with pink, red or white (NC State, Wisconsin). Once mostly a novelty houseplant, it is now also sold as a shade bedding annual. It grows fast and gets leggy with age and in low light, so it is pinched often and restarted from cuttings now and then. In Florida, UF/IFAS predicts it will be invasive and doesn't recommend planting it outdoors.

Hardy outdoors only in zones 10-11, where it can reseed freely (NC State, Wisconsin) and UF/IFAS rates it a high invasion risk in Florida; elsewhere it is grown indoors or as a summer annual and can summer outdoors in shade once nights stay above 50 F (Wisconsin).

When to plant

Timing is counted from your average last spring frost (and first fall frost). Sow & Tell works out the actual dates for your ZIP code.

Usually bought as a nursery or bedding plant, or started from 4-in stem cuttings or from seed, which can sprout in as little as 4 days at 68 F (Wisconsin).

Growing it indoors

• Light: Bright, filtered light gives the best color; it tolerates some sun, but strong direct sun can crinkle and curl the leaves, and in dim light the spots fade and the stems stretch (NC State, Wisconsin).
• Water: Water thoroughly and let the surface dry slightly between waterings while it is growing; it is somewhat drought tolerant but grows better with steady water (Wisconsin). It is prone to root rot in soggy mix, so empty the saucer and water less in winter.
• Humidity: It prefers humid air; in dry winter rooms, mist it now and then (Wisconsin).
• Temperature: Growth is poor until temperatures are above 60 F, and it should not go outdoors until temperatures stay above 50 F (Wisconsin); keep it out of cold window drafts.
• Feeding: Once established, feed periodically with a dilute liquid fertilizer while it is growing (Wisconsin); MU Extension's general rule is about monthly when new growth is showing and none in winter.
• Repotting: Wisconsin gives no repotting schedule and notes that houseplants get leggy and eventually need replacing, so restart an old, lanky plant from cuttings rather than moving it up a pot size.

Soil

A porous, well-drained potting mix high in organic matter such as peat moss (Wisconsin, NC State).

Pot in a porous mix high in organic matter, such as one with peat moss, in a container that drains well (Wisconsin).

Feeding

• Once established, spring through summer while it is growing: dilute liquid fertilizer. Feed periodically (Wisconsin); MU Extension's general rule is about once a month when new growth is showing.
• Winter, or whenever growth stops: none. Skip feeding until new growth starts (MU Extension).

Pinch it regularly instead of pushing growth with extra fertilizer; legginess comes from age and low light (Wisconsin).

Varieties (7)

NC State and Wisconsin Horticulture name the same 7 cultivars and series.

Pests to watch for

Whiteflies, Aphids, Mealybugs

Diseases and problems

Powdery mildew, Root and crown rot

In the kitchen

Safety: NC State tags it non-toxic, and none of the Extension pages we opened list a hazard to people.

Pets: Non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses (ASPCA), though the ASPCA notes that eating it may cause mild vomiting and diarrhea; the cause is unknown.