21 Beautiful Houseplants With Round Leaves For Any Collection
Coin-like leaves seem like an oddity in the plant world, but there are many types of houseplants with this trait. Many have leaves as small as the coins you may carry in your pocket yet drape several feet, while others have large leaves and stand upright.
Most houseplants with circular or nearly circular leaves come from the Begonia, Calathea, Hoya, Peperomia, and Pilea genera. The latter three groups and other round-leafed plants that don’t belong to these genera are succulents.
Unless otherwise noted in a care reference, these plants need bright, indirect, or partial light and to be watered whenever the first two inches of soil becomes dry.
Here are 21 houseplants that have neatly rounded leaves.
1. Begonia Ningmingensis Var. Bella
The Begonia Ningmingensis Bella is a rhizomatous hybrid begonia originally from China. The leaves take the shape of lily pads, grow slightly wide, and have an indent where the petiole attaches. The main veins are gray-green to yellow, while the rest of the velvety leaf can be dark green, medium green, purple, or red.
- Mature Size: 10 in (25 cm)
- Temperature & Humidity: Over 60° F (16° C), more than 50% humidity
- Soil: Standard, well-draining mix
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 10
2. Peruvian Grape Ivy (Cissus rotundifolia)
The Peruvian Grape Ivy (Cissus rotundifolia) is a succulent that hails from East Africa despite its name. Its medium green leaves are almost perfectly circular but with toothed margins. It grows well draping from baskets or climbing trellises.
- Mature Size: 6ft (1.8 m)
- Temperature and Humidity: 60–90° F (16–32° C), more than 50% humidity
- Soil: Standard, well-draining mix
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 9–11
3. String of Pearls (Curio rowleyanus)
The String of Pearls (Curio rowleyanus) comes from the daisy family and South Africa, where it creeps and clumps along the ground. Its leaves look like large peas. In homes, they are often planted in baskets so the bead leaves can drape.
- Mature Size: 3 ft (90 cm)
- Light: Bright, full or direct
- Temperature and Humidity: 50–75° F (10–24° C), low to moderate humidity
- Water: Water when the pot becomes completely dry
- Soil: Cactus or succulent mix
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 9–11
4. String of Nickels (Dischidia nummularia)
The String of Nickels (Dischidia nummularia) from Southeast Asia gets its name from the succulent coin-sized circular leaves. They are medium green and arranged in opposite pairs along the vine. Often people place these epiphytic plants in hanging baskets to let the strings drape. It’s fussier about over-watering than most plants.
- Mature Size: 9 ft (3 m)
- Temperature and Humidity: 64–79° F (18–26° C), standard household (30–40% humidity)
- Soil: Extra organic or aeration, like orchid bark or perlite, mix
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 10–11
5. Hoya Brevialata (Hoya brevialata)
The Hoya Brevialata (Hoya brevialata) is a succulent epiphyte from Southeast Asia that grows as long strings with coin-sized leaves. The medium green leaves tend to be spoon-shaped, and the vines have many tendrils. The plants usually get placed in hanging baskets.
- Mature Size: 8 ft (2.4 m)
- Temperature and Humidity: 60–85° F (15–29° C).
- Soil: Extra acidic, like orchid or peat mix
6. Hoya Obovata (Hoya obovata)
The Hoya Obovata (Hoya obovata) from Indonesia is another succulent epiphyte with long vines that grows in hanging baskets or climbing trellises. The round medium green leaves have grayish splash patterns.
7. Hoya Serpens (Hoya serpens)
The Hoya Serpens (Hoya serpens) from Southeast Asia is slightly darker than its other Hoya relatives. This succulent epiphyte also has a rougher texture. Otherwise, it has the same small, round leaves and thin vines, and tends to be grown in hanging baskets or on trellises.
8. Round-Leafed Calathea (Goeppertia orbifolia)
The Round-Leafed Calathea (Goeppertia orbifolia) from Bolivia is one of the largest Calatheas. It has large, up to 1 ft (30 cm) wide, round leaves, wavy edges, and arching dark green and gray-green stripes.
The challenge comes from achieving ideal humidity and watering routines, which is common to calatheas.
- Mature Size: 3 ft (90 cm)
- Temperature and Humidity: 65–85° F (18–24° C), more than 50% humidity
- Soil: Organic and well-aerated mixes, like orchid bark or perlite
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 9–11
9. Rose-Painted Calathea (Goeppertia roseopicta)
The Rose-Painted Calathea (Goeppertia roseopicta) from South America is one of the more colorful Calatheas. The large, round leaves have layers of green from a thick zone of medium-toned core, a wide dark strip, a thin area of bright color, and then a medium green on the outer surface. The margins are wavy, and the undersides are rich pink.
FURTHER READING: 25 Fun Calathea Varieties (From Easy To Challenging)
10. Maidenhair Vine (Muehlenbeckia complexa)
The Maidenhair Vine (Muehlenbeckia complexa) from New Zealand is a wire-looking vine with small alternating medium green leaves. It grows moderately stacked like a curly head of hair, but most of its total length reaches downward and outward.
- Mature Size: 3 ft (90 cm)
- Light: Bright, full or direct
- Temperature and Humidity: 65–80° F (18–27° C), normal household (30–40%) humidity.
- Water: Water when the first two inches becomes dry
- Soil: Standard, well-draining mix
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 7–10
11. Watermelon Peperomia (Peperomia argyreia)
The Watermelon Peperomia (Peperomia argyreia) from northern South America has mostly round leaves but a pointed tip and sometimes curls at the margins. The leaves have light green stripes alternating with medium green, reminiscent of a watermelon rind. The petiole is dark purple.
- Mature Size: 12 in (30 cm)
- Temperature and Humidity: 65–80° F (18–27° C), average household (30–40%) humidity
- Soil: Standard, well-draining mix
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 10–12
FURTHER READING: Watermelon Peperomia: Care, Maintenace & Common Problems
12. Baby Rubber Plant (Peperomia obtusifolia)
The Baby Rubber Plant (Peperomia obtusifolia) from northern South America has succulent spoon-shaped medium green leaves. Despite its name, it is unrelated to where we extract rubber, Hevea brasiliensis, and the colloquial Rubber Tree Ficus elastica.
- Mature Size: 10 in (25 cm)
- Temperature and Humidity: 65–75° F (18–24° C), standard household (30–40%) humidity
- Soil: Standard, well-draining mix
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 10–12
13. String of Turtles (Peperomia prostrata)
The String of Turtles (Peperomia prostrata) from Brazil gets its name from the patterns on its leaves. Unlike other “string” plants, this succulent epiphyte has a pronounced contrast of light and dark green forming patches similar to a turtle shell. The margins are burgundy.
- Mature Size: 12 in (30 cm)
- Temperature and Humidity: 65–75° F (18–24° C), more than 60% humidity
- Soil: Standard, well-draining mix
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 9–10
14. Peperomia Hope (Peperomia tetraphylla)
The Peperomia Hope or Acorn Peperomia (Peperomia tetraphylla) from Northern South America has a scientific misnomer. “Tetraphylla” means “four-leaved”, but the plant usually has three whorled oval leaves per node. Sometimes you can see stripes of two slightly different medium greens radiating from the leaf base.
- Mature Size: 12 in (30 cm)
- Temperature and Humidity: 65–80° F (18–27° C), more than 50% humidity
- Soil: High concentration of aerated materials like orchid bark or perlite.
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 10–12
15. Pilea Glauca ‘Aquamarine’ (Pilea glaucophylla)
The Pilea Glauca (Pilea glaucophylla) from Brazil has spoon-shaped dark green leaves on wiry bronze to red branches that drape nicely from hanging baskets. They can be fussy about getting enough humidity yet a lot of drainage.
- Mature Size: 10 in (25 cm)
- Temperature and Humidity: 65–80° F (18–27° C), more than 60% humidity
- Soil: Cactus or succulent mix
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 10–12
16. Chinese Money Plant (Pilea peperomioides)
The Chinese Money Plant or Coin Plant (Pilea peperomioides) from China is probably the most iconic round-leafed houseplant. The surface is smooth, flat, and perfectly round, with the petiole attached underneath between the center and the base. It’s also a prominent, solid medium green and larger than many plants on this list.
- Mature Size: 12 in (30 cm)
- Temperature and Humidity: 65–80° F (18–27° C), normal household (30–40%) humidity
- Soil: Standard, well-draining mix
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 10
17. Elephant Bush (Portulacaria afra)
The Elephant Bush (Portulacaria afra) comes from South Africa, where it’s the main diet of elephants. It’s also known as an African Bonsai as they grow and look very similar. The leaves are edible to humans, and people use them in salads in South Africa.
This easy care and drought tolerant plant will let you know when it needs a drink by having slightly wrinkled leaves. Overwatering can lead to root rot.
- Mature Size: 15 ft (4.6 m), with bonsai types growing 12 in (30 cm)
- Temperature and Humidity: 65–80° F (18–27° C), more than 50% humidity
- Soil: Cactus or succulent mix
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 9–11
18. African Violet (Saintpaulia ionantha)
The African Violet (Saintpaulia ionantha) from eastern Africa is most well-known for its rich purple flowers that bloom year-round and often even indoors where most house plants are unable to flower. But African Violets also have round, medium green velvety leaves.
- Mature Size: 9 in (23 cm)
- Temperature and Humidity: 65–80° F (18–27° C), average household (30–40%) humidity
- Soil: Standard, well-draining mix
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 11–12
19. Strawberry Begonia (Saxifraga stolonifera)
The Strawberry Begonia (Saxifraga stolonifera) from Eastern Asia is also called the Strawberry Geranium, even though it is neither a Geranium nor a Begonia. But it has similar leaves to them, with its wavy margins and almost round shape. The leaf surfaces also have medium green streaked with gray-green and burgundy on the margins.
- Mature Size: 18 in (46 cm)
- Light: Moderate indirect to shady
- Temperature and Humidity: Over 60° F (16° C), average household (30–40%) humidity
- Soil: Standard, well-draining mix
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 6–9
20. Stephania Erecta (Stephania erecta)
The Stephania Erecta (Stephania erecta) from Thailand resembles the Chinese Money Plant. It has almost perfectly circular green leaves with the petiole attached underneath. But Stephania Erecta has light-colored veins and a large potato-like stem called a caudex.
- Mature Size: 3 ft (90 cm)
- Temperature and Humidity: 65–80° F (18–27° C), more than 60% humidity
- Soil: Cactus or succulent mix
21. Silver Dollar Vine (Xerosicyos Danguyi)
The Silver Dollar Vine or String of Coins (Xerosicyos Danguyi) from Madagascar is a succulent vine similar to the other “string” plants. It has medium-toned green paddle-shaped leaves. They readily climb large trellises if you provide one. Otherwise, they are great for hanging baskets near walls where they can safely grow to a full length.
- Mature Size: 12 ft (3.7 m)
- Temperature and Humidity: 68–80° F (20–27° C), normal household (30–40%) humidity
- Soil: Cactus or succulent mix
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 9–11
