Plants with round leaves offer a distinct aesthetic, bringing softness and unique visual interest to any space. This leaf shape stands out from common elongated or pointed foliage, creating a captivating focal point indoors and out. Their varied textures and sizes, from coin-like discs to broad structures, contribute to a diverse plant collection.
Understanding Round Leaf Adaptations
Round leaves often result from environmental adaptations. For many succulents, such as some Peperomia species, fleshy, rounded leaves store water, helping the plant endure dry periods. This minimizes surface area exposed to sun, reducing water loss through transpiration. In contrast, aquatic plants like Pennywort develop round leaves that float, maximizing light absorption. Certain trees, like aspens, have rounded leaves with flattened petioles, enabling them to quiver in the slightest breeze, which cools the leaf surface and deters insects.
Common Round-Leaved Houseplants
Many houseplants are popular for their rounded foliage. Peperomia ‘Hope’ (Peperomia rotundifolia), a hybrid with succulent-like leaves, displays small, circular leaves trailing from delicate stems. This plant thrives in bright, indirect light and prefers its soil to dry out slightly between waterings, making it a low-maintenance option. The String of Nickels (Dischidia nummularia), an epiphytic plant, has coin-shaped, leathery leaves that cascade from hanging baskets. It requires bright, indirect light and well-draining soil, thriving in moderate humidity.
The Chinese Money Plant (Pilea peperomioides), also known as the Pancake Plant or UFO Plant, features glossy green leaves atop slender stems. It prefers bright, indirect light and consistent watering, allowing the top layer of soil to dry before rewatering. The Button Fern (Pellaea rotundifolia) offers a unique texture with its small, round, dark green leaflets arranged along arching fronds. This fern, native to New Zealand, prefers indirect light and consistent moisture, making it suitable for tabletops or hanging displays. Certain Pothos varieties, like ‘N’Joy’, also exhibit a rounder, more compact leaf shape with distinctive white and green variegation, making them versatile and easy-to-care-for trailing plants.
Round-Leaved Outdoor Plants and Trees
For outdoor spaces, several plants and trees feature round leaves that enhance gardens and landscapes. Hostas, particularly varieties like ‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd’ or ‘Blue Mouse Ears’, are known for their large, often textured, round to heart-shaped leaves that thrive in shaded conditions. These perennials come in various shades of green, blue, and variegated patterns, offering diverse options for ground cover or borders. Pennywort (Hydrocotyle vulgaris), a low-growing perennial with glossy, circular leaves, can spread to form a lush mat. Pennywort is used in moist or boggy areas, thriving in partial sun to full shade and requiring consistently moist soil.
The Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a deciduous tree with broadly rounded, heart-shaped leaves. It produces pink-purple flowers in early spring before its leaves emerge, offering seasonal interest. It prefers full sun to partial shade and adapts to various soil types.
Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) has nearly round, bright green leaves with a flattened stem, causing them to tremble in the slightest breeze. Aspens are fast-growing trees that turn yellow or gold in autumn, providing fall color. ‘Autumn Joy’ Sedum (Hylotelephium telephium ‘Autumn Joy’) is a drought-tolerant succulent perennial with thick, fleshy, gray-green, rounded leaves that form upright clumps. It produces rosy-pink flower heads in late summer, which deepen in color as fall progresses.
Selecting and Appreciating Round-Leaved Plants
When choosing round-leaved plants, consider light conditions and available space. They can soften harsh lines and create contrast against angular or narrow foliage. Their unique forms offer versatility in plant arrangements, contributing a distinctive texture and shape to any collection.