Polka Dot Plant Red

Polka Dot Plant Red (Hypoestes phyllostachya 'Splash Select Red') is grown entirely for its leaves: deep green splashed and freckled with hot pink to red, in a plant that stays around 30cm tall and wide. It is one of the few genuinely colourful foliage plants that is also safe around cats and dogs. Indoors it works as a bright tabletop plant; in a warm garden it edges a shaded path.

Why you'll love it

• Colour without flowers. The red and green speckling is there every day of the year, with no flowering season to wait for.
• Safe for pets. Not toxic to cats or dogs, which puts it ahead of most of the colourful indoor plants it sits beside.
• Compact and easy to place. At 30cm by 30cm it fits a desk, a shelf or the front row of a border.
• Low effort. Pinch the tips occasionally, keep the mix damp, and it looks after itself.

Where it works best

Indoors. Bright indirect light is what keeps the red vivid. In a dim corner the speckling fades towards plain green and the stems stretch.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A 200mm pot suits a single plant, or group three in a wider bowl on a sheltered balcony.

Borders and edging. In a tropical or subtropical garden, plant 25cm apart for a continuous carpet of colour along a shaded path edge.

Growing Polka Dot Plant in Australia

Position and climate. Partial shade outdoors, bright indirect light indoors. It is frost tender, so outdoor planting suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens only. In cool temperate, Mediterranean or frost prone areas, treat it as an indoor plant or a warm season pot you bring under cover.

Soil. A quality potting mix with added coir or compost holds the steady moisture it likes. In the ground, work organic matter through the bed and mulch lightly, keeping the mulch off the stems.

Water and feed. Keep the mix evenly damp but never sodden. It wilts dramatically when dry and recovers within hours of a drink, so use that as your cue. Feed a liquid fertiliser monthly through the warmer months.

Pruning. Pinch the growing tips every few weeks. This is the single thing that keeps it dense; left alone it stretches, flowers and goes leggy. Cut it back by a third at any time to start again.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown as tube stock, so it arrives as a small, young, well rooted plant rather than a finished specimen. Given a pot and warmth it fills out quickly, usually presentable within eight to twelve weeks, and tubes are the sensible way to buy in numbers for edging at 25cm spacing.

Expect the leaves to look limp after time in a box; water it, give it light, and it lifts within a day. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse more pet friendly indoor plants.
• Compare the full indoor plant range.
• Read our indoor plant tips for beginners.
• See other plants with variegated foliage.

Common questions

Is it safe if my cat chews on it?

Yes. It is not toxic to cats or dogs, though as with any plant a large mouthful can still upset a small stomach.

Why has it gone leggy and pale?

Too little light and no pinching. Move it somewhere brighter, out of direct sun, and pinch the tips regularly to force branching lower down.

Can I plant it outside?

In tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens, yes, in a shaded, sheltered spot. It will not survive frost, so colder regions should keep it in a pot.

Does it flower?

It produces small insignificant flower spikes, worth pinching out. Flowering pushes the plant to stretch and lose density.