Callisia repens

Turtle Vine, Creeping Inch Plant, Creeping Basket Plant, Inch Plant, Bolivian Jew, Dwarf Wandering Jew, Chain Plant, Little Jewel, Tiny Buttons

A compact creeper from tropical Mexico and South America, forming dense mats of small oval leaves on jointed, purple-flushed stems. In the wild it colonises forest floors and streambanks — conditions that give it a preference for steady warmth and moderate moisture, which both open and closed terrariums can provide. Each leaf is dark green above with a distinctly purple underside, creating a two-tone effect that shifts with the viewing angle. It spreads quickly by rooting at its stem nodes wherever they touch moist substrate, so plan for occasional trimming to keep it in check.