Tradescantia zebrina earns its common name from two directions. The specific epithet zebrina describes the two longitudinal stripes of silver and white running the length of each leaf, while the inch plant name comes from the nodes spaced approximately an inch apart along its succulent, branching stems. The purple undersides flash with every movement, and the plant roots at each node as it creeps, making it an exceptionally fast-spreading ground cover in zones 9 through 11 and a vigorous hanging basket plant everywhere else.

Indoors, the plant asks for filtered light and moist but well-draining soil with a dry-out period between waterings. Full outdoor sun intensifies the striping dramatically, though in southern locations it can wash the color if the exposure is relentless. A hard prune each spring keeps it dense and contained, and the cut stems root readily for propagation. The watery sap can irritate skin, worth noting when trimming. Small lavender-purple flowers with yellow anthers appear occasionally indoors and more freely when grown outside, blooming intermittently through the year.