At the Pearl Farmer’s Market on Saturday several people bought polka dot plants and I told them I would write up a blog on the plants for them. Polka dot plants started off as a house plant until people realized that they were a perfect plant for the shade out here. Polda dot plants have either pink or white dots/blotches on green leaves. They are a shade plant. They also re-seed themselves. They are frost tender, but with trimming they come back in the spring. They do need some water when the tempertatures are at 95 and above – they look a little wilted until they get a dose of water and then they perk right up. 
They grow to 12 – 18 inches tall. If you want to keep them shorter and bushier, just pinch back the tops of the plants. In the fall, I let them flower (an uninspiring flower) so that they will set seed and I’ll have a new crop of seedlings in the spring. In November, December or January, I cut the plants down to about an inch above the ground. Early the next spring you will get all new foliage again, and also a crop of seedlings for the previous year’s seeds.
Polka Dot plants are a great addition to your shade garden. They can also be brought indoors as a houseplant. Inside they need bright light, and remeber to give them some diluted fertilizer.