Hypoestes phyllostachya is an extremely boring name for a fabulously funky plant.
Sporting vivid leaves with a signature speckled patterning, the confetti-resembling Polka Dot Plant truly is the life of the party.
And, coming in colors from snow-white to vivid fuchsia (and every shade of pink in between), they’re a statement piece for any terrarium.
Originally hailing from Madagascar, these petite plants are now commonly found as houseplants all over the world, so there’s no reason not to add one to your collection.
Read on to learn how to care for the fun Polka Dot plant both in and out of terrariums.
Where to Buy Polka Dot Plants
See the links below to purchase from reputable terrarium plant shops and marketplaces (may include affiliate links).
Hypoestes phyllostachya Care & Growth
| Plant Type | Foliage |
| Lighting | Bright, indirect light |
| Temperature | 60-80°F (15-26°C) |
| Watering | Regular, even moisture |
| Humidity | High humidity (60-90%) |
| Growth | 10-20 inches |
Lighting
Hypoestes phyllostachya can handle a variety of lighting conditions, but to really make the most of it, you’ll need bright, indirect light.
In low light, it will lose its wonderful vibrancy and variegation. Not to mention it will get seriously leggy, growing aggressively towards light sources.
Honestly, it looks kind of awkward…
To keep its variegation and compact growth pattern, you’re going to need the gold standard: bright, indirect light.
If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, an East or North-facing windowsill will be your best bet.
Watering & Substrate
Much like Nerve Plants, the Polka Dot Plant can be quite sensitive to watering. Preferring consistent, even moisture, it’ll often crisp up and collapse at the first sign of dryness.
Thankfully, it can be just as easily be revived with a quick drink.
The most important factor here, as is typical with tropical plants, is making sure you have adequate drainage so you don’t run into root rot.
- In a terrarium – create a false bottom/drainage layer by putting a layer of pebbles or leca balls down first. Adding a thin barrier (like this mesh on our shop) can keep the leca and soil layers separate.
- In a pot – make sure you select one with drainage holes.
You’ll need a soil mix that’s quick-draining, moisture-retentive and contains plenty of nutrients.
Our terrarium substrate mix is a perfect fit.
It contains fluffy coco coir for moisture, orchid bark (& more) for drainage, and earthworm castings as a nutrient-rich organic fertilizer.
👉 You can grab a bag of terrarium soil on our store.
Temperature & Humidity
Keeping Polka Dot Plants happy with temperature and humidity is quite easy.
Basically, as much as you can give them.
As a bare minimum, you need to be keeping the home above 60°F, but that’s on the low end, and I’d aim to push it quite a bit higher.
For reference, my home is around 75°F, and my plant is super happy.
When it comes to humidity, these plants can cope with as low as 50% but really thrive in environments with high humidity levels. If you’re keeping yours as a houseplant, the bathroom is an ideal location.
Naturally, this makes them ideal terrarium plants – so what are you waiting for?
Growth
As a shrub, Hypoestes phyllostachya can benefit from a little trimming to maintain its size and shape and promote a fuller foliage.
The only real difficulty in growing Polka Dot Plants is that I’ve found they’re somewhat susceptible to being snacked on by terrarium inhabitants… cough Porcellio Isopods.
With its compact growth, I’d still recommend this plant for bioactive terrariums; just don’t be surprised if you notice some cute little nibble marks!
It’s also worth noting that these plants don’t tend to live for all that long – often just a year or so after flowering.
Oh, I didn’t mention that it’s a flowering species?
That’s right, if you treat this plant well enough you’ll be treated with a dainty, Barbie-purple flower display.
Propagation
Polka Dot Plants can be easily propagated from cuttings at any time of the year.
Simply take a suitably long cutting from the tip (e.g. 4 inches) then remove the leaves from the lower half.
Then, you can directly plant it back into a high-quality substrate or pop it in a glass of water for the roots to develop before planting.
Either way the cutting should readily root without much intervention.
Alternatively, as long as you make sure to include a node in your cutting, you can snip off a smaller top piece and place it directly in a terrarium to root up on top of substrate (or even moss).
If you don’t fancy taking cuttings, you can give dividing the plant a go.
Because it’s so ornamental, I think a solo Polka Dot Plant can look a little jarring against lots of leafy green plants in a terrarium.
It can look more cohesive if there’s a few dotted about – so why not take your plant and make several?
Varieties & Similar Plants
Within the Hypoestes phyllostachya species, there’s a huge number of varieties in just about every color you can think of.
They’re generally named for their foliage patterns, including ‘Dot’, ‘Confetti’ and ‘Splash.’
You could also look to the various varieties of Fittonia to spruce up a terrarium with a bit of color and fancy, or how about the Bloodleaf Plant (Iresine herbstii)?
Honestly, all three of these plants give off the same energy for me!
