Do polka dot plants flower??

21 years ago

Do these flower? I thought I had a coleus (what my friend told me) but it looks more like a big polka dot plant. However, when she gave it to me it had tall spikes with purple flowers.

Kim

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Comments (9)

susanrose
21 years ago
Hallo Kim,

Yes, they do flower just as you described.

Susan
suemallick
21 years ago
...I love polka dot plants ,in winter I chop off the entire plant with just couple of inches with the roots in soil and by spring I have new lush plant...I have many shades of red and pink and white ones....they are great foliage plants...Sue
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polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya),
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Comments (3)
Yes, these will work great. They will survive fine in full shade. If you just want foliage, you might try Dusty Miller, which does well in partial shade. Black Varnish Pseuderanthemum would be a nice backdrop color and will survive in partial shade. For something really dramatic, look at Lofos White Lophospermum. They cascade 7 to 10 feet, like the same moist soil and will also do well in partial shade. When not in bloom, the plain green will be a nice contrast to the polka dot plants. Hope this helps. Good luck! Here is a link that might be useful: Lofos White for pretty drama
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I realize that trying to grow something at the base of a tree is difficult, because of root competition if nothing else. I was aware that certain trees are (in short) hostile to having other plants growing underneath; but I do have daylilies and columbine in one bed, and hosta, astilbe, and other things in the other bed. So I think I can still grow small annuals there, if I just figure out which ones! Wax begonias sound like a good idea: I will look further for those. I haven't planted them in years as I sort of gave them up in favor of bigger-flowered splashier things. I could mix them with the polka dot plants. New Guinea impatiens sound good too, if I can still find any: I can see putting those in pots, maybe, around the base of the nearer tree. That one is close to the deck and looks so bare compared to the rest of the garden, with just green stuff under it now. The other bed is at the end of the yard and really small plants don't show up: but I can't think of anything big and shade tolerant.
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pink polka dot flowering?
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Comments (10)
I think your blog is first rate. I have to go on record here...I ***hate*** pink polkadot plant. I know you guys are using it as a houseplant, but you can plant it out here, and if you do (like I did) its a huge mistake. It starts out nice, stays tame for a bit, then by the end of summer, its all over the place and gets a huge spread. Each branch can and does re-root as it falls on the ground and thus the plant can take over huge areas very fast when you aren't paying attention (like I am frequently not). To add insult to injury, when it blooms, it seeds and you get pink polkadot coming up in places you never wanted it in. I planted it in a bed in 2002 and am still trying to eradicate it, 6 years later.
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Comments (10)
If you have space near a window, and enjoy fussing over a plant, it should do fine. If your daughter wouldn't mind if it goes outside for summer, that would probably be best. Juju, that's funny you mention Fittonia. My experience has been opposite but Fittonia was potted by itself until being added to this pot this spring. The polka dot plants have been in this pot since last May. Whenever a piece gets too tall for the 'attitude' of this pot, I just cut it off. Propagating the pieces is not guaranteed but usually takes. This pot is on the east end of covered front porch facing south, so gets direct light for a few hours in the morning. When I brought it inside over winter, it was in a south window under the porch roof, so about an hour of sun early morning, another hour or two late afternoon. Speaking of the pieces, I put 3 in this pot about a week ago. Since they're still so perky, I'm sure they have taken root, or are in the process of doing so. I just stuck them in the dirt until I thought they were deep enough, probably 1 1/2 inches.
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zhmel
20 years ago
mine has actually been flowering through the winter this year (no idea why). i don't have much colour in the foilage, but the flowers are a light purple and are fairly small and grow quite close to the stalk.
marguerite_gw Zone 9a
20 years ago
The flowers are tiny, you can easily miss them. Tall spikes sound more like coleus. Unless it's a different variety of hypoestes, that could be.
rlsh1974
20 years ago
can polka dots be rooted in water ?
thanks,
rachel
LovingRetirement
9 years ago
Re Suemallick's comment...where do you live? I'm in Michigan. I didn't know these are perennial, but if so, I'm thrilled because I just planted an entire flat.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
9 years ago
Kim, is there any way that you could let us see a picture? I don't think that your description of the flower fits at all. I think of Hypoestes phyllostachya flowers as being axillary, single flowers. I'm guessing that your plant is something else entirely.

For those asking about the real 'Polka Dot Plant '...it is considered a small shrub in its native tropical environment. It can be grown from stem cuttings, though I'd stick them in a good potting soil rather than water.
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
9 years ago
Lovingretirement, if you have Hypoestes, it is indeed a perennial, but far too tender to cold to survive outside in MI. It's possible to keep it alive by bring it inside for winter, if interested. This pot was put together in spring '12, so starting a 3rd year. After the flowers are finished, cut off the tall stalks for new growth from the base.

(With Impatiens, cane Begonia, Coleus.)
quan0871
9 years ago
purple flowers so beautiful, I really like them

Here is a link that might be useful: trung cáº¥p y táº¿ hÃ ná»i

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Do polka dot plants flower??

Comments (9)

susanrose

suemallick

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zhmel

marguerite_gw Zone 9a

rlsh1974

LovingRetirement

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL

quan0871

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