Hippo Red Polka Dot Plant

Hippo Red is an upright, mounding polka dot plant grown for dark green foliage speckled with red to purple. The cultivar denomination is ‘G14158’; the Canadian variety record gives the trade name Hippo Red Imp, and Proven Winners markets the selection as Hippo Red II. Its Proven Winners garden profile lists a mature height of 16–22 inches and spread of 8–14 inches, with a part-shade to shade exposure and USDA zones 10–11. ## Selection The U.S. plant patent identifies ‘G14158’ as the cultivar denomination and describes moderately vigorous, upright, mounding plants with large dark-green and red-purple bicolored leaves. The patent is PP32914, issued March 23, 2021. Kew accepts the species Hypoestes phyllostachya in the family Acanthaceae. [U.S. plant patent](https://patents.justia.com/patent/PP32914) · [Kew Plants of the World Online](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:49962-1/general-information) ## Growing Conditions Grow in partial shade to shade; Proven Winners also reports heat tolerance and average water needs, while noting the plant can tolerate sun in some climates. The selection is used in containers and landscape mass plantings and can also be grown indoors or alongside bedding annuals. [Proven Winners plant profile](https://serv3.provenwinners.com/plants/hypoestes/hippo-red-ii-polka-dot-plant-hypoestes-phyllostachya) ## Size and Use The garden profile lists 16–22 inches tall and 8–14 inches wide. A Canadian trial measured plants at a mean 15.3 cm tall and 23.5 cm wide in 15 cm pots, showing that observed size depends on growing conditions. The Canadian record identifies ‘G14158’ as Hippo Red Imp and lists certificate 6961 dated December 14, 2023. [Canadian variety record](https://active.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/pbrpov/cropreport/pol/app00011871e.shtml) ## Maintenance This annual is grown for its foliage, and deadheading is not necessary. The seller describes it as easy to care for; use routine watering and trim only when shaping the upright, mounding outline.