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Acanthaceae
Polka Dot Plant Flower
Hypoestes phyllostachya
Individuality and playfulness.
- Family
- Acanthaceae
- Genus
- Hypoestes
- Native to
- Madagascar
- Bloom season
- Summer, Fall
- Type
- perennial
- Height
- 1-2 ft
- Sunlight
- partial shade to bright indirect light
- Soil
- moist, rich, well-drained
- Water
- moderate to high
- Hardiness
- 10-12
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Most gardeners pinch off the small lavender flowers because blooming signals the plant to become leggy and decline.
- The colorful spotted leaves, not the flowers, are the real reason this plant is grown, with over 30 cultivars bred for leaf patterns.
- It is considered invasive in parts of Australia and Hawaii, where it escapes gardens and colonizes forest understories.
- The polka-dot pattern on the leaves is caused by patches of cells that lack chlorophyll, revealing underlying pigments.
- In its native Madagascar, it grows as an understory plant in tropical rainforests, which is why it thrives in low-light indoor conditions.
Color meanings
0
uniqueness
1
fun
2
creativity