How to Care for Hypoestes

Co-authored by Lindsey Swett and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: January 8, 2024 References

Hypoestes phyllostachya, more commonly known as polka dot plants, add a splash of color to your regular decor with their pink and green leaves. While you can grow these plants outdoors, they’re even more popular as an indoor plant. These plants have a short lifespan, and only tend to stay in bloom for around a year, but they’re easy to take proper care of in their prime.^{[1]
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Research source} With a few basic gardening supplies, you can help keep this freckle face plant in great condition.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Light, Water, and Temperature Requirements

1
Display your polka dot plant in bright indirect light. Set your polka dot plant near a southern- or eastern-facing window, where it’ll get consistent low light throughout the day. Set these plants on a surface 2 to 3 ft (0.61 to 0.91 m) behind this window, so they can get partial shade without any direct sunlight.^{[2]
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- Unfortunately, direct light can cause your plant to stress and fade, and may make the leaves curl.^{[3]
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2
Keep your plant in a humid, 75 °F (24 °C) area. Try to keep your plant in a temperature-controlled space with high humidity so it can really thrive. ^{[4]
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Research source} Help create the ideal conditions by putting it in a humidity tray, or a bowl filled with stones and a little bit of water. Set the potted plant on top of the bowl, allowing the water from the humidity tray to evaporate directly into the plant.^{[5]
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- This plant‘s native habitat is in places like Madagascar, Southeast Asia, and South Africa, which are likely more humid than your average living space.^{[6]
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3
Water your plant when the top ¹⁄₂ in (1.3 cm) of soil is dry. Rub your fingers along the top of the potted soil and see if it feels damp or not. If the top ¹⁄₄ to ¹⁄₂ in (0.64 to 1.27 cm) of soil feels dry, soak the surface with some water.^{[7]
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- Your plant should only have moist soil—if it’s overflowing with water, the roots can rot.
4
Mist your plants multiple times each day. Fill a spray bottle with tap water and set it to a fine mist. Go over the entire plant with several squirts of water, coating the leaves with fine, tiny water droplets. Keep the spray bottle near your houseplants, so you can spritz over the leaves a few times throughout the day.^{[8]
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- For instance, try misting your plant at least once in the morning, afternoon, and evening.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Pruning, Fertilizing, and Troubleshooting

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Prune your polka dot plants on a weekly basis. Polka dot plants need regular, weekly pruning, or else they can get pretty overcrowded. Find the 2 smallest leaves growing along the ends of each stem and pinch them off with your fingers.^{[9]
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- Pruning your plant actually encourages it to become more healthy and bushy!
2
Provide organic soil for your plant with good drainage. Check if your plant’s default soil drains well, or if water tends to sit on top of the dirt after a while. If necessary, replant your polka dot plant in a new pot with well-drained soil made with organic ingredients, like peat moss.^{[10]
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- Look for organic potting soil in your local garden supply shop.
3
Sprinkle an organic fertilizer over the soil once a month. Give your polka dot plant a boost each month with a small amount of fertilizer in its container.^{[11]
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Research source} Sprinkle the surface of the soil with some diluted liquid fertilizer around the same time each month, so your polka dot plant stays well-nourished.^{[12]
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- Check the side of the fertilizer bottle to see how much water you need to dilute the product.
- Polka dot plants do best with a balanced fertilizer or a product where the nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) ratio is even, like 10-10-10.^{[13]
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4
Replant the hypoestes if there’s root rot. Take a closer look at your plant’s roots if it doesn’t seem to be growing very well. If the entire root system looks brown and soft, you won’t be able to save your plant. However, if there are still white, healthy sections of the roots, trim away the rotted sections with sharp scissors and replant the polka dot plant in new soil.^{[14]
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- Try to replant your polka dot plant within a few hours, so it has a better chance of recovering.
- Your plant may get root rot if you water it too much.^{[15]
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5
Spritz the leaves with fungicide if you notice powdery mildew. Powdery mildew looks like a white coating on your plant and can be pretty common on polka dot plant leaves.^{[16]
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Research source} Spritz the leaves with a fungicide, which can help get rid of the unwanted mildew. Take a few extra moments to spray over the bottom of the leaves, too.^{[17]
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- Double-check the fungicide bottle for more specific instructions and precautions.
- Don’t use a sulfur-based fungicide for this—sulfur isn’t good for plants living in humid conditions.
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Expert Q&A

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Do Hypoestes like water?

Lindsey Swett
Plant Specialist
Lindsey Swett is a Plant Specialist and the Owner of Niche Plant Shop in Boston, Massachusetts. She has over a decade of experience working in several plant settings, including golf courses, public parks, and commercial garden centers. Her focus now is on helping plant owners care for their indoor plants. Lindsey holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from The University of Michigan.

Lindsey Swett

Plant Specialist

Expert Answer

Yeah, they do need to remain slightly more moist than other tropical plants, as they tend to dry out a little fast and get pretty dramatic about it. So I would recommend a moisture retaining soil. But be careful, as you don't want anything to stay super soggy.

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Tips

If you have more than 1 polka dot plant, keep them near one another! Whenever you mist your plants with fresh water, they’ll spread the droplets along to one another.^{[18]
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You can propagate this plant really easily with a 4 in (10 cm) stem cutting. Pull the lower leaves off the cutting and replant it in a pot of moist sand, vermiculite, or regular potting mix.^{[19]
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Warnings

Try not to overwater your polka dot plant! If there’s too much water in the soil, your plant can develop root rot, which will stop your plant from growing successfully.^{[20]
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