Polka Dot Plant Pink

Polka Dot Plant Pink (Hypoestes phyllostachya 'Splash Select Pink') is grown for one thing: leaves freckled and splashed in bright pink over deep green, on a tidy plant that tops out around 30cm tall and 30cm wide. It is small enough for a shelf, inexpensive enough to plant in drifts along a shaded border, and listed as non toxic to cats and dogs.

Why you'll love it

• Colour without flowers. The pink sits in the foliage, so it is there every day of the year.
• Safe around pets. Non toxic to cats and dogs, which makes it one of the few brightly marked plants you can put at floor level.
• Small and controllable. About 30cm each way, and pinching keeps it lower and denser than that.
• Indoors or out. A pot plant anywhere in the country, and a shade border filler in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens.

Where it works best

Indoors. A bright room with filtered light keeps the pink strong. Bathrooms and kitchens suit it because it likes humidity. A windowless corner does not.

Borders and edging. In frost free gardens, plant 25cm to 30cm apart along a shaded path or under established shrubs. At that spacing the plants knit into a continuous pink ribbon within a season.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. It combines well in mixed containers, where the pink lifts plain green foliage.

Growing Polka Dot Plant in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light indoors, part shade outdoors. Direct sun bleaches the pink and scorches the edges, while heavy shade turns the plant leggy and mostly green. It suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens only, being frost tender enough to collapse in a cold snap. Cooler southern gardens should grow it inside.

Soil. A quality potting mix with added compost, or a bed improved with organic matter. It wants moisture retention alongside drainage, not a bog.

Water and feed. Keep the mix evenly moist. This is not a plant that forgives drying out: it wilts dramatically, recovers once watered, and loses leaves if that happens repeatedly. Half strength liquid fertiliser every three to four weeks in the growing season keeps the markings bright.

Pruning. Pinch the tips regularly. Left alone it stretches, flowers and declines, so remove the small lilac spikes and cut the plant back by a third once it opens up.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is sold as tube stock: young plants, usually 10cm to 15cm tall with a handful of well marked leaves. They establish quickly, filling a 140mm pot within a couple of months of warm weather. Tube size is the sensible way to plant a border, because you need numbers rather than instant size.

Soft foliage does not travel as stoically as a succulent, so a little wilting on arrival is normal. Water on the day it lands, keep it out of direct sun for a week, and it picks up. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Indoor plant tips for beginners.
• Browse the full indoor plants range.
• Compare other plants safe for pets.
• Low growing border ideas for edging a shaded path.

Common questions

Why is my polka dot plant losing its pink?

Almost always light. Too little and the markings fade towards green while the stems stretch. Too much direct sun and the pink bleaches out. Bright indirect light is the middle ground.

How far apart should I plant it in a border?

About 25cm to 30cm apart. Each plant spreads to roughly 30cm, so that spacing closes into unbroken cover within a season without crowding.

Is it safe for cats and dogs?

Yes. Hypoestes is listed as non toxic to cats and dogs, though a pet that eats a mouthful may still get a mild upset stomach.

Should I let it flower?

No. The small lilac spikes draw energy from the foliage and the plant often goes leggy afterwards. Pinch them out as soon as you see them.