Polka Dot Plant

Hypoestes phyllostachya-- also know as the "Polka Dot Plant"-- is a common, low-maintenance house plant that produces a variety of colors and kinds of leaf spotting.

Why We Love It

It's quirky. Fun Fact: Another common name for this plant is "Freckle Face". Like actually.

Requirements

Polka Dot Plants grow best in bright, indirect light, as direct sun often burns the leaves of indoor houseplants. Water a Polka Dot Plant well and then allow the top 25% of the soil to dry out before watering again. Over-watering causes root rot!

So Fashionable

The "polka dots" on the leaves of these perennial herbaceous shrubs are the result of hybridizing that has resulted in mottled spotting that can be purple, scarlet, lavender, white, pink, rose, or red. (The base leaf is always green.)

Not For Kitties

While the Polka Dot Plant isn't as lethal for cats as, say, a poinsettia is, they can still cause cats to have some significant intestinal discomfort, so make sure to keep them away from each other. You don't want to clean that up.