Large Evergreen Leaves

[BeyondTheGarden]

Looking for input, to create a list of plants that have large evergreen leaves for zone 8 (aside from palms, cycads and ferns, and also not limited to "BLE" category. 

Plants that can develop large evergreen leaves;

Fatsia japonica (and polycarpa)

Magnolia grandiflora

Aspidistra leaves can get large. 

Melianthus major (semi-evergreen)

Erybotria are pretty large in adolescent years, i think the leaves get smaller once it achieves "tree" status.

Mahonia sp are decent if you consider the size of a leaf to include all leaflets of a single leaf.  

Laurel leaves are decent but not necessarily big.  

Rhododendron has some large leafed varieties though I've never been able to find things like "sinogrande". 

NC has a native bay that has large leaves, I think maybe Persea palustris. 

I'm sure there are more and better ones that I can't think of at the moment.  

[Chester B]

I'm struggling with looking for the same types of plants too.  Here are more I can think of

Daphniphyllum macropodium (I've looked for this plant for years, especially the variegated variety)

Lithocarpus henryi - I have one now, but good luck finding them.  These tropical looking evergreen oaks are next to impossible to find.  Other Lithocarpus species have big leaves too I think.

Scheffleras/Heptapleurum - Taiwaniana, delavayi

Sinopanax formosanus

Trochodendron araoliodes "Wheel Tree" - Not the biggest leaves but still tropical looking.  Regularly found in nurseries around here, but prices have doubled in recent years.

Mahonia gracilipes

Farfugium japonicum

Phormiums - might be a bit tender in your area, so the uncommon P cookianium would be best

Beschornaria  yuccoides - might be a bit tender in your area

Pododcarpus macrophyllus - There is the "mood ring" variety that's new growth is red

Illicum parviflorum

Cinnamomum checkiangense

Dendropanax trifidus

Aucuba japonica

 

 

 

[BeyondTheGarden]

You'll be able to grow all kinds of great stuff there @Chester B.  Will you try your Monstera outside?  Philodendrom selloum I think would be fine.  I believe I've seen Dicksonia in central FL.  

If you seldom get freezes, you could maybe keep things like Bananas, Alocasia, Colocasia year-round? 

If you have a sheltered overhang, could you get away with Croton or Bromeliads? 

Not to mention the Agave and Cycads you should be able to grow.   I've only ever looked at zone 8 stuff so I would have to do some major research to figure out your new zone there. 

[Chester B]

38 minutes ago, BeyondTheGarden said:

You'll be able to grow all kinds of great stuff there @Chester B.  Will you try your Monstera outside?  Philodendrom selloum I think would be fine.  I believe I've seen Dicksonia in central FL.  

If you seldom get freezes, you could maybe keep things like Bananas, Alocasia, Colocasia year-round? 

If you have a sheltered overhang, could you get away with Croton or Bromeliads? 

Not to mention the Agave and Cycads you should be able to grow.   I've only ever looked at zone 8 stuff so I would have to do some major research to figure out your new zone there. 

Yes Monstera outside.  

Philodendrons will be fine, I saw large specimens all over.

The other big leafy things will be fine as well, the odd frost might do damage, but they haven't had it in a years time.  Only edible bananas going forward.

Crotons and bromeliads were everywhere in the big box stores outside garden centers, so you can take that with a grain of salt.  I do know the crotons/Ti's can be pretty root hardy so definitely will be using some.  One of my new neighbors has a nice Ficus elastica in their front yard even.

So being in zone 9B has its advantages - lots to learn.