Coin-like leaves seem like a rarity in the plant world, but there are many types of houseplants with this feature. Many have leaves as small as coins that you can carry in your pocket but cover several feet, while others have large leaves and stand upright.
Most houseplants with circular or nearly circular leaves come from the genera Begonia, Calathea, Hoya, Peperomia, and Pilea. The last three groups and other round-leaved plants not belonging to these genera are succulents.
Unless otherwise noted in a care reference, these plants need bright, indirect, or partial light and are watered whenever the first two inches of soil dry out.
Here are 21 houseplants that have perfectly rounded leaves.
Begonia Ningmingensis Bella is a rhizomatous hybrid begonia native to China. The leaves take the form of water lilies, grow slightly wide and have a notch where the petiole joins. The main veins are grayish-green to yellow, while the rest of the velvety leaf can be dark green, medium green, purple, or red.
- Mature size : 10 inches (25 cm)
- Temperature and Humidity : More than 60°F (16°C), more than 50% humidity
- Soil : standard mix with good drainage
- USDA Hardiness Zone : 10
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 hanging in baskets or climbing trellises.
- Mature size : 6 feet (1.8 m)
- Temperature and humidity : 60 to 90 °F (16 to 32 °C), more than 50% humidity
- Soil : standard mix with good drainage
- USDA Hardiness Zone : 9–11
The string of pearls ( Curio rowleyanus ) comes from the daisy family and from South Africa, where it creeps and clumps on the ground. Its leaves look like large peas. In homes, they are often planted in baskets so that the beaded leaves can cover them.
- Mature size : 3 feet (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 is completely dry.
- Soil : Cactus or succulent mix
- USDA Hardiness Zone : 9–11
The String of nickels ( Dischidia nummularia ) of Southeast Asia gets its name from the succulent circular coin-sized leaves. They are medium green in color and are arranged in opposite pairs along the length of the vine. Often people place these epiphytic plants in hanging baskets so that the strings dangle from them. It is more picky about overwatering than most plants.
- Mature size : 9 ft (3 m)
- Temperature and humidity : 18 to 26 °C (64 to 79 °F), standard household (30 to 40% humidity)
- Soil : Extra organic or aeration, such as orchid bark or perlite, mix
- USDA Hardiness Zone : 10–11
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 are usually placed in hanging baskets.
- Mature size : 8 ft (2.4 m)
- Temperature and humidity : 60–85° F (15–29° C).
- Soil : Extra acid, such as orchid or peat mix.
The Hoya Obovata ( Hoya obovata ) from Indonesia is another succulent epiphyte with long vines that grows in hanging baskets or climbing trellis. The round, medium-green leaves have grayish splash patterns.
The Hoya Serpens ( Hoya serpens ) of 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 spindly vines, and tends to be grown in hanging baskets or on trellis.
The Roundleaf Calathea (Goeppertia orbifolia) from Bolivia is one of the largest Calatheas. It has large leaves, up to 30 cm (1 ft) wide, round, with wavy edges, and dark green and gray-green arching stripes.
The challenge is to achieve the ideal humidity and watering routines, something common in calatheas.
- Mature size : 3 feet (90 cm)
- Temperature and humidity : 65 to 85 °F (18 to 24 °C), more than 50% humidity
- Soil : Organic, well-aerated mixes, such as orchid bark or perlite
- USDA Hardiness Zone : 9–11
The Rose Painted Calathea ( Goeppertia roseopicta ) of South America is one of the most colorful Calatheas. The large, round leaves are layered with green of a thick mid-tone core area, a broad dark stripe, a thin area of bright color, and then medium green on the outer surface. The margins are wavy and the underside is deep pink.
FURTHER READING: 25 Fun Calathea Varieties (From Easy to Challenging)
Maidenhair vine ( Muehlenbeckia complexa ) of New Zealand is a wire-like vine with small alternate medium-green leaves. It grows moderately piled up like a curly head of hair, but most of its full length reaches down and out.
- Mature size : 3 feet (90 cm)
- Light : Bright, full or direct
- Temperature and Humidity : 65 to 80°F (18 to 27°C), normal household humidity (30 to 40%).
- Water : Water when the first two inches are dry.
- Soil : standard mix with good drainage
- USDA Hardiness Zone : 7–10
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 stripes of light green alternating with medium green, reminiscent of the rind of a watermelon. The petiole is dark purple.
- Mature size : 12 inches (30 cm)
- Temperature and Humidity : 65 to 80 °F (18 to 27 °C), average home humidity (30 to 40%)
- Soil : standard mix with good drainage
- USDA Hardiness Zone : 10–12
FURTHER READING: Watermelon Peperomia: Care, Maintenance, and Common Problems
The Baby Rubber Plant ( Peperomia obtusifolia ) from northern South America has succulent, medium-green, spoon-shaped leaves. Despite its name, it bears no relation to where we extract our rubber, Hevea brasiliensis , and the colloquial rubber tree Ficus elastica .
- Mature size : 10 inches (25 cm)
- Temperature and humidity : 18 to 24 °C (65 to 75 °F), standard household humidity (30 to 40%)
- Soil : standard mix with good drainage
- USDA Hardiness Zone : 10–12
The Chain Turtle ( Peperomia prostrata ) of Brazil gets its name from the patterns on its leaves. Unlike other “thread” plants, this succulent epiphyte has a pronounced contrast of light and dark green forming patches similar to a tortoise shell. The margins are burgundy.
- Mature size : 12 inches (30 cm)
- Temperature and humidity : 18 to 24 °C (65 to 75 °F), more than 60% humidity
- Soil : standard mix with good drainage
- USDA Hardiness Zone : 9–10
The Peperomia Hope or Acorn Peperomia ( Peperomia tetraphylla ) of northern South America has a scientific misnomer. “Tetraphylla” means “four leaves,” but the plant usually has three whorled, oval leaves per node. Stripes of two slightly different medium greens can sometimes be seen radiating from the base of the leaf.
- Mature size : 12 inches (30 cm)
- Temperature and humidity : 65 to 80 °F (18 to 27 °C), more than 50% humidity
- Soil : High concentration of aerated materials such as orchid bark or perlite.
- USDA Hardiness Zone : 10–12
The Pilea Glauca ( Pilea glaucophylla ) from Brazil has dark green, spoon-shaped leaves on fibrous bronze to red branches that hang nicely from hanging baskets. They can be finicky about getting enough moisture but plenty of drainage.
- Mature size : 10 inches (25 cm)
- Temperature and humidity : 65 to 80 °F (18 to 27 °C), more than 60% humidity
- Soil : Cactus or succulent mix
- USDA Hardiness Zone : 10–12
The Chinese money plant or coin plant ( Pilea peperomioides ) from China is probably the most iconic round-leaved houseplant. The surface is smooth, flat and perfectly round, with the petiole attached below between the center and the base. It’s also a prominent, solid, larger medium green than many plants on this list.
- Mature size : 12 inches (30 cm)
- Temperature and Humidity : 65 to 80 °F (18 to 27 °C), normal household humidity (30 to 40%)
- Soil : standard mix with good drainage
- USDA Hardiness Zone : 10
Elephant bush ( Portulacaria afra ) comes from South Africa, where it is the main diet of elephants. It is also known as African bonsai, as they grow and look very similar. The leaves are edible for humans and people use them in salads in South Africa.
This easy-care, drought-tolerant plant will let you know when it needs a drink with slightly crinkled leaves. Excessive watering can lead to root rot.
- Mature size : 15 feet (4.6 m), with bonsai types growing to 12 inches (30 cm)
- Temperature and humidity : 65 to 80 °F (18 to 27 °C), more than 50% humidity
- Soil : Cactus or succulent mix
- USDA Hardiness Zone : 9–11
The African violet ( Saintpaulia ionantha ) from East Africa is best known for its rich purple flowers that bloom year-round and often even indoors where most houseplants cannot flower. But African violets also have medium green, round, velvety leaves.
- Mature size : 9 inches (23 cm)
- Temperature and Humidity : 65 to 80 °F (18 to 27 °C), average home humidity (30 to 40%)
- Soil : standard mix with good drainage
- USDA Hardiness Zone : 11–12
The East Asian strawberry begonia ( Saxifraga stolonifera ) is also called strawberry geranium, although it is neither a geranium nor a begonia. But it has leaves similar to them, with wavy margins and an almost round shape. The leaf surfaces are also medium green veined with grayish-green and burgundy on the margins.
- Mature size : 18 inches (46 cm)
- Light : Moderate indirect to shaded
- Temperature and Humidity : Above 60°F (16°C), average home humidity (30–40%)
- Soil : standard mix with good drainage
- USDA Hardiness Zone : 6–9
The Stephania Erecta ( Stephania erecta ) from Thailand resembles the Chinese Money Plant. It has almost perfectly circular green leaves with the petiole attached below. But Stephania Erecta has light colored veins and a large potato-like stem called a caudex.
- Mature size : 3 feet (90 cm)
- Temperature and humidity : 65 to 80 °F (18 to 27 °C), more than 60% humidity
- Soil : Cactus or succulent mix
Silver Dollar Vine or String of Coins ( Xerosicyos Danguyi ) from Madagascar is a succulent vine similar to the other “string” plants. It has medium-tone green, paddle-shaped leaves. They easily climb large trellis if one is provided. Otherwise, they are great for hanging baskets near walls where they can safely grow to their full length.
- Mature size : 12 ft (3.7 m)
- Temperature and Humidity : 68 to 80 °F (20 to 27 °C), normal household humidity (30 to 40%)
- Soil : Cactus or succulent mix
- USDA Hardiness Zone : 9–11
