In previous blogs we’ve discussed what the scientific names of plants mean and how they work. We’ve also talked about how important they are because sometimes common or popular names can be confusing. This is one of those moments in which we discover yet again how rich the popular nomenclature of plants can be and why it’s important to be clear as to which species we’re referring to. Inspired by a reader—thank you, Kathleen—we’d like to use this blog to explore the world of inchplants and how that name applies to two different species yet not unrelated species. So let’s dig in and learn about inchplants, both Callisia repens and various Tradescantia species!
A Brief Guide to Callisia repens
We’ll start in alphabetical order, for no particular reason. Callisia repens, also know as “creeping inchplant” or “turtle vine” is a succulent creeping plant. Originally from Central America, it has spread and established itself around the Caribbean, the Southeastern US, and parts of South America and Australia. In many of these locales it is considered an invasive species due to its rapid growth and the way its thick, mat-like ground cover can stifle the growth of native plants.
Since the late 19th century, Callisia repens has attained world-wide popularity as an ornamental plant. It does well in containers, can either serve as ground cover or a drooping plant, and it offers a uniquely shaped foliage with a lovely color. It tolerates a wide variety of conditions and can tolerate irregular watering. All of this comes together to make it a perennial favorite in homes, offices and other spaces where easy-care houseplants are desirable.
Another Look at Tradescantia
Regular readers will remember that we’ve written about Tradescantia before, but we’ll recap it here for the sake of establishing a comparison with the similarly nicknamed Callisia repens. These are related plants, both from the Commelinaceae. Tradescantia species are found throughout both North and South America, with the earliest examples reaching Europe from the colony of Virginia. By contrast with its cousin Callisia repens, the Tradescantia species tend to grow vertically, up to 12-24 inches/30-60 cm tall. Like Callisia repens, they offer beautiful foliage, but Tradescantia spp are beloved for their beautiful flowers. The blooms come in a variety of colors depending on the species and varietal in question, including white, pink, purple, and blue.
Tradescantia spp are popular houseplants and garden plants for their lovely blooms, rapid spread throughout a given garden space, and the fact that they come in a wide variety of species and cultivars to suite nearly any garden space or climate. They’re beautiful, easy to care for, and adaptable—which, also like Callisia repens, means that Tradescantia species are considered invasive in many parts of the world.
Why are They Both Called “Inchplant”?
So if these are such distinct plants, why do they have similar common names? That has to do with how we humans create appellations for the things around us and how we organize data in our minds. Both Callisia repens and the various Tradescantia species grow and spread rapidly. They’re also both New World plants that were introduced to Europe. In their new home, they seemed to grow quickly. “An inch a day” became a common descriptor for both plants, leading to their shared common name.
In that sense, common names work much like scientific names do: they attempt to describe the plant in question by its traits and connect it to other, similar plants. The difference is that scientific names are applied systematically and work to group plants by their genetic relationship rather than similar traits or behaviors. This is another reason why it’s so important to know the scientific names of your plants—you can ensure that you’re getting accurate and relevant information about them!
This is one of this little adventures that make gardening and the world of plants so much fun. We learned a bit more thanks to a good question from a curious reader, and we’re always grateful for that. If you have any questions about inchplants or anything gardening-related, let us know and we’ll do our best to answer them!
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