Choosing planting

Trees and shrubs with large leaves

Our selection of trees and large-leaved shrubs

Contents

Modified the 21 September 2025 by Gwenaëlle 7 min. Difficulty: Beginner

Large foliage irresistibly evokes the tropics and lushness. It is fascinating to play with these broad leaves in the garden to create jungle-inspired settings and provide a sense of travel and exuberance without leaving home. Many plants actually have a large leaf surface and are often of tropical origin, where plants growing beneath the canopy strategically enlarge their laminae to capture as much light as possible and thereby ensure photosynthesis. Several leafy, evergreen or deciduous trees and shrubs also offer exceptional foliage, which we invite you to discover… or rediscover!

Difficulty

Paulownia tomentosa

Imperial in every sense, Paulownia has the largest single leaves of any leafy tree: they are truly gigantic, measuring between 30 and 50 cm in length. This is not the only attraction of this impressive tree, which grows rapidly to reach 10 m in 10 years and will generally eventually reach 15 m in height: its spring flowers stand out beautifully against the bare wood, with an unusual violet-blue colour for a tree and a trumpet shape reminiscent of foxgloves. Note that the foliage reaches these giant proportions when the tree is cut back hard, which allows it to be kept to a smaller size, but at the expense of flowering… Imperial paulownia is a heat-loving tree that will thrive in and enhance a large garden or park for many months (it retains its foliage for a long time).

Paulownia fortunei ‘Fast Blue’ is a smaller, more upright cultivar, with the same foliage and flowering qualities as the type species.

Paulownia tomentosa

Catalpa bignonioides

After Paulownia, Catalpa has the largest single leaves among deciduous trees: they measure between 15 and 20 cm. They are cordate (heart-shaped), whorled (inserted at the same level around an axis) in groups of three, and a beautiful light green colour. With its broad foliage, Catalpa adds an exotic touch to your garden. It is an ideal shade tree for medium-sized to large gardens, reaching 8 to 13 m in height with a spreading, even umbrella-like habit. Its flowering is another of its charms: it takes place in summer, with beautiful clusters of white flowers speckled with purple, which develop into very long pods measuring 30 to 50 cm, accentuating its exotic appearance, and which persist on the bare tree. The ideal dwarf variety for a small garden (‘Nana’) has slightly smaller leaves.

Catalpa bignonioides (© Wendy Culter)

Rhus typhina

The staghorn sumach has a very large, remarkable odd-pinnate compound leaf: it changes from green to yellow as the seasons progress, then takes on superb orange-red to fiery red colours in autumn. The enormous leaves are made up of around twenty leaflets and reach between 50 and 60cm in length. They give this large, spreading shrub, which is wider than it is tall at maturity, a very elegant appearance. Staghorn sumach needs plenty of sun to develop its sublime autumn colours. It will grow almost anywhere, is very hardy, tolerant of drought and urban pollution. It has just one small drawback: it suckers readily! To avoid this, choose newer cultivars such as ‘Tiger Eyes’ which remain non-invasive. The dissecta varieties, also known as laciniata, have truly superb finely cut foliage, although it is slightly smaller than that of the species.

Rhus typhina: autumn foliage on the left (© Finn Termann Frederiksen), summer foliage and fruits on the right (the fruits are produced only on female plants)

Fatsia japonica

This is a shrub that is becoming increasingly common in gardens and patios. This false aralia, which our grandmothers often grew indoors, has come back into fashion, and that is good news. With its large, evergreen, wonderfully palmate foliage, it inevitably attracts attention. The leaves can grow up to 30cm long and are a highly decorative glossy green, as is the habit of Fatsia, which becomes upright. In autumn, it produces flowers grouped into umbels, resembling those of ivy (they belong to the same family). Fatsia japonica is particularly worthwhile planting in our gardens because, like no other plant, it can transform a shady corner into a little tropical paradise when accompanied by a few other carefully chosen plants that, like it, thrive in partial shade and cool, well-drained soil. It is hardy down to -15 °C… Enough said! This shrub is a gem! You will easily find several varieties with cream-variegated foliage (‘Spider’s Web’ or ‘Variegata’).

Fatsia japonica (© Gwenaëlle David)

→ Find out more about Fatsia japonica in our full plant profile: Japanese aralia: planting, growing and care

Tetrapanax

When talking about Fatsia, how could we not mention Fatsia papyrifera, now better known as Tetrapanax, or the rice-paper tree? This shrub, sometimes classified among perennials, is spectacular for the size of its palmatifid leaves, which resemble those of Fatsia japonica, but in an extra-large and more flexible version: they have huge, deeply divided, green and downy leaves, rounded in shape and measuring 50 to 80 cm in diameter. Tetrapanax papyrifer develops particularly luxuriantly, even in our climate (it originates from southern China), when planted in moist, light and fertile soil in partial shade. Fast-growing, it generally reaches 2 m in height, with a spread of up to 8 m! This makes it essential for anyone wishing to create an extraordinary tropical scene. You can pair it with a wide range of plants evocative of the tropics: Dicksonia antarctica, Musa, Phormium, Colocasia…

Tetrapanax papyrifer

→ Discover our video: Tetrapanax papyrifera ‘Rex’ and find out all about Tetrapanax in our complete guide.

Magnolia tripetala and Magnolia hypoleuca (obovata)

Evergreen magnolias are known for their very beautiful, large, glossy foliage. And yet it is two deciduous Magnolias with remarkable flowers that are among those with the most beautiful and largest leaves: first of all, a Magnolia from the eastern United States, Magnolia tripetala (also known as Magnolia umbrella or umbrella magnolia), whose obovate leaves can measure up to 60cm long! It is exceptional, with its spreading habit, white flowers appearing in May-June, and its soft, light green foliage, strongly marked by an exotic character, which takes on beautiful colours in autumn. You can grow it even in a small garden, as it reaches a height of 6 to 8m at maturity.

Another Magnolia worthy of inclusion in this selection of large foliage, even if its leaves measure “only” 40cm long by 20cm wide: Magnolia hypoleuca (also known as Magnolia obovata), originally from Japan. Its slightly bluish, satin-like leaves are sublime, and what can we say about its cream-coloured flowers with their magnificent, prominent stamens? These two beautiful specimens should be planted in slightly acidic soil, as standalone plants so that you can fully appreciate their beauty.

Magnolia tripetala and Magnolia hypoleuca (Leonora Enking)

Melianthus major

Originally from South Africa, the giant honey flower has large, pale foliage, among the most architectural and spectacular, formed of toothed leaflets that make up a leaf around 40 to 50cm long. These magnificent leaves are evergreen, with a superb bluish colour, turning jade at bud burst. The stems are rather rigid and hold the foliage as if suspended, giving the plant an upright yet spreading habit. Melianthus major reaches between 1.50m and 2m when fully grown. It can be grown in a large container on a sunny terrace in cold regions. It will nevertheless tolerate a few frosts down to -5 °C, but will absolutely require fleece outside coastal areas.

Melianthus major: habit (© Gwenaëlle David) and flower

Eriobotrya japonica

No, large leaves are not the preserve of trees for those lucky enough to have a very large garden! The Japanese medlar is one of my favourite small ornamental trees, thanks to its wonderfully exotic, ample foliage, which it displays all year round: its long, embossed leaves measure between 20 and 25cm. They are leathery and glossy on the upper surface, and downy and russet on the underside. They have strongly marked veins, giving the tree a truly exotic appearance. This small tree has a superb habit: it is spreading, almost taking on an umbrella shape at maturity. Despite its tropical appearance, it is hardy down to -12 °C and can be grown in many regions (only fruiting, with orange fruit appearing in winter – also known as medlars – being compromised from -4 °C).

Eriobotrya japonica (© Gwenaelle David)

Liriodendron tulipifera

The tulip tree is a very attractive deciduous tree, whose quadrilobate leaves are quite unique: the terminal lobes are widely spaced, giving Liriodendron a very unusual and characteristic appearance. The leaf is a beautiful light green and measures around 15 cm; it turns a magnificent orangey yellow in autumn. Liriodendron is therefore easily recognised by this foliar characteristic, but also by its exquisite summer flowering, which is equally distinctive, taking the form of large tulip-shaped flowers with upright stamens. Unfortunately, flowering only begins on trees around fifteen years old. This large tree reaches around twenty metres at maturity. It prefers rich, moist, acidic or neutral soils and is suited to a large garden or park.

Pinus wallichiana

Why mention a conifer among these broad leaves? Because Himalayan weeping pine is not all that common and has some of the longest, most flexible needles in this large family. Its broad, graceful sprays are truly worth a closer look, giving it a very distinctive appearance. These are very fine, blue-green needles, grouped into a myriad of sprays and measuring between 20 and 30cm long. Pinus wallichiana can be grown as a single-stemmed tree or as a coppiced plant (with multiple trunks). You will show it off to best effect by planting it in full sun, as a solitary specimen on a lawn in a large garden (it reaches 15m). It is particularly hardy and adapts to any type of soil.

Quercus frainetto

Better known as Hungarian oak, Quercus frainetto stands out for its particularly large and unusual foliage: the deciduous leaves measure around 20 cm and are deeply lobed, changing from light green in spring to glossy dark green in summer, then golden yellow in autumn. Hungarian oak thrives in sun or partial shade and tolerates chalky soils. Interesting for its fairly fast growth and the light shade it provides in summer, this majestic tree reaches 20 m in height with a spread of around 12 m… so it is best reserved for parkland gardens!

Quercus dentata ‘Grandifolia’, a marcescent cultivar from Japan (‘Oh-gashiwa’), which is a little harder to find, has truly incredible leaves measuring 40 cm in length!

Quercus frainetto: spring foliage

But also a wide range from tropical regions …

This selection is ultimately rather limited. It could have included the remarkable foliage of other trees, notably the silky Albizia, Sassafras albidum with its beautiful lobed leaves, fig trees and mulberries (including Broussonetia papyrifera), certain Mahonia species, and many trees and shrubs of tropical origin, such as Brugmansia with its fabulous tropical flowers… and many, many palms! They would almost deserve an article of their own, as their impressive foliage is among the most beautiful in the plant kingdom. This is without even mentioning banana plants and certain large succulent plants, such as Agaves. You are spoilt for choice when it comes to creating an ultra-exotic atmosphere in your garden…