Trees with Large Leaves: 14 Bold, Tropical-Looking Species for Temperate Yards

Most shade trees have leaves 2-5 inches long. The trees on this list have leaves measured in feet. A bigleaf magnolia leaf can reach 30 inches. A catalpa leaf spans a foot across. These are the trees that make a temperate yard feel tropical, that create dramatic texture contrasts, and that visitors notice immediately.

Big-leaf trees aren’t for every situation. They drop big leaves, cast dense shade, and dominate whatever space they’re in. But planted in the right spot, they create a bold, lush effect that no fine-textured tree can match.

The biggest leaves on temperate trees

Bigleaf Magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla)

The largest leaves of any native North American tree. Individual leaves reach 20-30 inches long and 10-12 inches wide. Fragrant white flowers up to 12 inches across bloom in late May to June. The tree has a coarse, tropical appearance that’s unlike any other temperate species.

Zones: 5-8
Mature size: 30-40 feet tall, 20-30 feet wide
Leaf size: 20-30 inches long
Growth rate: Medium
Flower: White, 10-12 inches, fragrant, late spring
Fall color: Yellow-brown
Best for: Specimen tree, tropical effect, collector’s garden

The leaves are thin and tear in wind. Plant in a sheltered location with some wind protection. Afternoon shade in hot climates prevents leaf scorch. Not common in nurseries but available from specialty growers.

Umbrella Magnolia (Magnolia tripetala)

Leaves 12-24 inches long in whorls that create an umbrella-like canopy. White flowers 6-10 inches across in late spring have a strong (some say unpleasant) fragrance. Native to Appalachian forests. More adaptable and available than bigleaf magnolia.

Zones: 5-8
Mature size: 15-30 feet tall, 15-25 feet wide
Leaf size: 12-24 inches long
Growth rate: Medium
Best for: Understory tree, naturalized woodland gardens, large-leaf texture

Northern Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa)

Heart-shaped leaves 8-12 inches long on a tough, fast-growing shade tree. Showy white flower clusters in June with yellow and purple markings inside each trumpet-shaped bloom. Long bean-like seed pods (10-20 inches) persist through winter.

Zones: 4-8
Mature size: 40-60 feet tall, 20-40 feet wide
Leaf size: 8-12 inches long, 4-8 inches wide
Growth rate: Fast (2-3 feet/year)
Flower: White trumpets in clusters, June
Best for: Shade, large yards, parks, rural properties

Catalpas are tough, handling poor soil, drought, heat, and pollution. The tradeoff: they’re messy. Big leaves, flower petals, and long seed pods all drop at different times. Not for tidy gardeners. But the bold texture and showy flowers make up for the litter if you have room.

Catalpa tree white trumpet-shaped flower clusters blooming in spring

Royal Paulownia / Empress Tree (Paulownia tomentosa)

Enormous fuzzy leaves 8-16 inches across on a tree that grows 10+ feet per year when young. Lavender-purple trumpet flowers appear before leaves in May. Undeniably dramatic.

Zones: 5-9
Mature size: 30-50 feet tall, 30-50 feet wide
Leaf size: 8-16 inches (up to 24 inches on coppiced shoots)
Growth rate: Extremely fast (5-15 feet/year)
Flower: Lavender-purple, fragrant, May
Warning: Invasive in much of the eastern US. Produces thousands of seeds and spreads aggressively. Banned or restricted in some states. Check your local invasive species list before planting.

If you coppice (cut to the ground annually) a paulownia, it produces single stems with leaves up to 2 feet across. Some gardeners use this technique for tropical effect without letting the tree reach maturity or set seed.

Catalpa tree with large heart-shaped leaves and long dangling seed pods

Medium large-leaf trees (6-12 inches)

Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)

Unique four-lobed leaves 4-8 inches across on the tallest native hardwood in eastern North America. Tulip-shaped flowers in May (green, yellow, and orange) appear high in the canopy on mature trees. Clear golden yellow fall color. One of the fastest-growing deciduous trees available.

Zones: 4-9
Mature size: 70-90 feet tall, 35-50 feet wide
Leaf size: 4-8 inches across
Growth rate: Fast (3+ feet/year)
Fall color: Golden yellow

Tulip tree foliage turning golden yellow in autumn

American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)

Broad, maple-like leaves 6-10 inches across. The bark is the real show: it exfoliates in patches of white, gray, olive, and tan, creating a camouflage pattern visible from blocks away. Massive tree for large properties and parks.

Zones: 4-9
Mature size: 75-100 feet tall, 60-80 feet wide
Leaf size: 6-10 inches across
Growth rate: Fast
Best for: Very large properties, parks, stream banks

For residential yards, London plane (Platanus x acerifolia) is a better choice. Same dramatic bark and large leaves in a slightly more compact, disease-resistant package. It’s one of the most planted street trees in the world.

Sycamore tree showing distinctive white bark and broad green leaf canopy

Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)

The biggest leaves of any maple species. Dark green leaves 8-12 inches across that turn yellow-gold in fall. Native to the Pacific Northwest from British Columbia to central California. A major canopy tree in Pacific Northwest forests.

Zones: 6-9
Mature size: 50-75 feet tall, 30-50 feet wide
Leaf size: 8-12 inches across
Growth rate: Medium-fast
Best for: Pacific Northwest landscapes, large shade tree, native gardens

Devil’s Walking Stick (Aralia spinosa)

Compound leaves 2-4 feet long (the largest compound leaves of any North American tree) on a small, spiny-stemmed tree. Huge white flower clusters in late summer attract butterflies. Blue-black berries feed birds. Dramatic, architectural, and very different from anything else in the yard.

Zones: 4-9
Mature size: 10-20 feet tall, multi-stemmed
Leaf size: 2-4 feet long (compound, with many leaflets)
Growth rate: Fast
Warning: Stems and leaf stalks are covered in sharp spines. Plant away from walkways and play areas.

Tropical-effect trees for warm climates

Common Fig (Ficus carica)

Deeply lobed leaves 6-12 inches across on a tree that produces edible fruit. Figs create an instant Mediterranean or tropical atmosphere. Deciduous in zones 7-8, semi-evergreen in zones 9-10.

Zones: 7-10 (marginal in zone 6 with protection)
Mature size: 10-30 feet tall and wide
Leaf size: 6-12 inches, deeply lobed
Growth rate: Fast
Bonus: Produces two crops of figs per year in warm climates

In zone 6 and colder marginal areas, figs can be grown as die-back shrubs (top growth freezes, regrows from roots) or in containers moved indoors for winter.

Large deeply-lobed fig tree leaves against a clear blue sky

Chinese Parasol Tree (Firmiana simplex)

Enormous palmate leaves 10-16 inches across on a clean, attractive shade tree. Smooth green bark. Small yellow-green flower clusters in summer. Unusual papery seed pods. Underused in American landscapes but common in Asian gardens.

Zones: 7-9
Mature size: 30-45 feet tall, 15-25 feet wide
Leaf size: 10-16 inches across
Growth rate: Medium-fast
Best for: Tropical effect, specimen tree, Asian-inspired gardens

Hardy Rubber Tree (Eucommia ulmoides)

Glossy dark green leaves 4-8 inches long. The hidden feature: snap a leaf in half and you’ll see latex rubber threads stretching between the pieces. The only temperate-climate tree that produces rubber. Extremely tough, with no significant pest or disease problems.

Zones: 5-8
Mature size: 40-60 feet tall, 30-50 feet wide
Leaf size: 4-8 inches long
Growth rate: Medium
Best for: Tough shade tree, conversation piece, urban conditions

Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)

Drooping tropical-looking leaves 6-12 inches long on a native understory tree. Produces the largest edible fruit of any native North American tree. Flavor like banana-mango custard. Grows in shade (unusual for a fruit tree).

Zones: 5-8
Mature size: 15-25 feet tall
Leaf size: 6-12 inches long
Growth rate: Slow to medium
Best for: Shade gardens, edible landscaping, native plant gardens, wet soil areas

Design tips for large-leaf trees

Contrast is the point. Plant large-leaf trees next to fine-textured species (Japanese maple, honeylocust, river birch) for maximum visual impact. A catalpa next to a Japanese maple creates a texture contrast you can see from the street.

Scale to the space. A bigleaf magnolia in a 20-foot-wide yard overwhelms everything. The same tree in a 60-foot yard anchors the landscape. Match the tree’s drama to the space available.

Wind protection matters. Big leaves tear in wind. Sheltered courtyards, walled gardens, and urban lots protected by buildings are ideal sites. Open, windy hilltops are not.

Expect leaf litter. Big leaves mean big leaf litter. A catalpa drops leaves the size of dinner plates. Factor cleanup into your decision. Composted, large leaves break down into excellent mulch for garden beds and tree base rings.

Tropical understory effect. Combine large-leaf trees with large-leaf perennials (hostas, ligularia, elephant ears) for a full tropical effect, even in zone 5. The tree canopy provides the shade these understory plants prefer.

For more trees that make a statement, see our ornamental trees guide and mklibrary.com’s landscaping investment tips.