Hypoestes (Family Acanthceae) is native to Madagascar; other species in the genus come from South Africa and Southeast Asia. Also known as Polka dot plant is a bushy plant with oval, softly downy leaves.
Polka dot plant forms a relatively low mound of foliage that looks good by itself or outstanding when mixed with other plants such as calathea that have fun foliage.
In addition to being an indoor houseplant, Hypoestes can be used as an accent plant in dish gardens, window boxes or patio containers or can be grown as a bedding plant to add some color in partially shaded areas.
Polka dot plants indoors
Indoor plants like the Polka Dot Plant will enhance the overall aesthetic appeal of your home and comes with a wide range of additional benefits such as improving your mood, filtering the air, and even reducing stress.
Here are some exact ways that the Hypoestes Phyllostachya will benefit your home.
- It’s a beautiful plant so it will improve your mood through aesthetics. This provides a boost to mood and creativity.
- Its natural air filtration characteristics lower stress, fatigue, and sickness.
- Removal of toxins makes you more productive.
Polka dot plant placement indoors
Place this plant in the west or southern side of your windows, or in a well-lit room.
If you plan to place the polka dot plant on a balcony or patio, then make sure it’s in a shaded area to avoid direct sunlight. UV rays will scorch the leaves and damage them.
The polka dot plants have better color in partial shade than full sun, but the leaves also fade out in very low light.
How to propagate Polka Dot plant
Hypoestes is propagation is from either seed or cuttings. Polka dot plants will root the quickest during their active growing season. Seeds are sown in the soil. Germination temperature for seeds is 21 degrees centigrade.
Expect seedlings to emerge two weeks after planting.
Cuttings can be taken anytime but will establish more quickly in spring or summer. Remove terminal growth at a node and pull off the leaves closest to the end. Dip the cutting in a rooting hormone and put it in a soilless growing medium such as peat moss. Soon roots will emerge. After the cutting has a thick complement of roots, plant it in the soil.
If you’d prefer to plant the cuttings in the soil right away, just remember that you’ll need to keep the soil moist. Mist the soil every other day so it doesn’t get too soggy.
Rooting in water
Rooting in water is often the preferred method for houseplant owners as you can keep an eye on root growth and turn the glass into a décor feature at the same time.
Here are the steps you can use to propagate a polka dot plant using the water method:
- Select a section of the plant that has at least two healthy leaves at the top and a couple of nodes, which are the bumps that new roots will sprout from.
- Use a clean pair of scissors or a sharp knife to cut two-inch pieces. These are your stem cuttings.
- Take your stem cuttings and place them into containers of water. Any container works as long as you can submerge at least one of your cuttings’ nodes.
- Move the containers near windows with indirect sunlight. Direct sun is a bit too much and can increase algae growth, which is not harmful but also not the nicest thing to look at.
- Change the water out once or so a week to get rid of any gunk buildup and promote healthy growth.
Roots will start to appear in a weeks time. Wait until the roots have grown at least two inches before repotting into soil.
Conclusion
Klenny nurseries will supply quality plant materials (seedlings) and the expertise required for you to get a vibrant and flourish home.