Tradescantia, also known as the inch plant, and is native to North and South America. There are around 60 species, of which most are hanging plants, although there are also a few that grow upwards. The stems are able to store a fair amount of water, making Tradescantia quite forgiving if you forget to water it from time to time. The plant was named after John Tradescant Senior, a gardener employed by the English King Charles I, by his son John Junior, a botanist and explorer. The plant became a hit in the courts of Europe around 1662 and was found to be so easy to propagate that it is one of the few early houseplants that soon appeared in ‘ordinary’ living rooms as well.