Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Tender Perennial
Origin
Madagascar
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
Types
-
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
Number of Varieties
5020
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
All sorts of environments
Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-158-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-5
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 23, 24
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
20.30 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lavender
White, Red, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Multi-Color
Fruit Color
Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
White, Red, Blue, Green, Pink, Rose
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
White, Red, Blue, Green, Pink, Rose
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
White, Red, Blue, Green, Pink, Rose
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Lance shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Reduce watering in winter
Requires plenty of water during the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Cut off the flower stalks at the base of the plant, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Apply 8-4-6 amount
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Butterflies
Allergy
-
Rash
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Ground Cover
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves, Rhizomes
Other Uses
-
Can be made into a herbal tea, Leaves used for wrapping zongi, Used to flavour noodles, Used to wrap mochi rice cakes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Botanical Name
HYPOESTES phyllostachya
ALPINIA zerumbet
Common Name
Polka Dot Plant, Polkadot Plant
Shell Ginger
In Hindi
Polka dot plant
Shell Ginger
In German
Tupfen-Anlage
Shell Ginger
In French
Polka dot usine de
Shell Ginger
In Spanish
Planta de lunares
Shell jengibre
In Greek
Φυτό πουά
Shell Τζίντζερ
In Portuguese
Planta bolinhas
Shell Ginger
In Polish
Grochy roślin
Shell Imbir
In Latin
Facies dot herba
Crusta Ginger
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Lilopsida
Order
Lamiales
Zingiberales
Family
Acanthaceae
Zingiberaceae
Genus
Hypoestes
Alpinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Ruellieae
Alpinieae
Subfamily
Acanthoideae
Alpinioideae
Number of Species
50150
1
27800
👆🏻