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Hypoestes

Hypoestes phyllostachya
Also known as: Polka Dot Plant

Hypoestes is a flower in the Acanthaceae family. It grows best in part shade with medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 2-13. Plants reach maturity about 74–84 days after planting and sit about 6 inches apart.

Varieties

1 from True Leaf Market · sorted by days to maturity
  • Splash Select Series74–84 days

    Non-GMO; Container; Annual

    74-84 Days to maturity. Hypoestes phyllostachya. Splash Select Series Hypoestes Seeds. Non-GMO, open-pollinated, Premium Quality Seeds, annual. Open Pollinated. Splash Select Series Hypoestes seeds grow adorable, colorful foliage for shaded areas. Also known as Polka Dot Plant, it is rarely targeted by deer, has great drought tolerance, and is perfect for accenting pots and planters. Splash Select Series hypotheses seeds are a simple yet exotic grow, ideal for many hot and humid gardens. 500 Seed Packet.

    View on True Leaf Market
Family
Acanthaceae
Category
Flower
Form
Bush
Lifecycle
annual
Zone
2-13
Height
0.6666666666666666–1 ft
Spread
0.6666666666666666–1 ft
Sun
Part shade

Plant spacing

4 plants per square footSquare-foot planting diagram: a 1-foot square divided into a 2-by-2 grid holding 4 hypoestes plants spaced 6 inches apart.
4 plants per square foot

In a square-foot bed, space hypoestes about 6 in apart — that fits 4 plants in each 1-foot square (2×2). Wider rows or containers space the same.

Water
Medium

Plan your hypoestes planting

Add hypoestes to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.

Start your free plan →

At a glance

Days to harvest
74–84 days
From transplant or sow to first harvest
Harvest style
Harvest once
One main harvest
After harvest
Use within days
Quality eases off after peak
Frost tolerance
Tender · to ~32°F
Lowest temperature the foliage usually survives
Germination
~60%
Typical minimum germination rate

Growing timeline

When to plant and harvest hypoestesPlanting timeline for hypoestes, relative to last frost: start indoors from 9 weeks before last frost to 1 week after last frost; grow from 1 week after last frost to 12 weeks after last frost; harvest from 12 weeks after last frost to 13 weeks after last frost.Start indoorsGrowLast frostTransplant
Start hypoestes indoors ~10 weeks before transplanting 1 week after last frost; first harvest 12 weeks after last frost.
Seed to transplant
56-70 days
Outdoor planting
7 to 14 days vs frost
Propagation
Seed
Schedule anchor
Last Frost

Care & troubleshooting

No curated care & troubleshooting advice for hypoestes yet. Our extension-sourced library currently focuses on common edible crops; we're expanding it over time.