Large Leaf House Plants: How to Maximize ANY Space

Large Leaf House Plants

Large Leaf House Plants: How to Maximize ANY Space

So, you’re ready to take the first step into large leaf house plants. We don’t blame you; large leaf plants make a huge difference in a space. Push aside your 4-inch succulent and mini Spider Plant, because you’re going to need more room for these babies to really shine. 

 

If you’ve ever been in a home or office that makes good use of large leaf house plants, you know how they can change the atmosphere of a room. They’re versatile enough to be a great office plant, accent item, or centerpieces, and their very presence ushers in the beauty and wonder of nature. 

 

 

Why Do Some Plants Have Large Leaves?

Large leaf plants tend to be from tropical climates. This means they’re accustomed to places with lots of sun and humidity. The large leaves are also more susceptible to the cold, making warm weather the preferred climate. 

 

The large leaves act a bit like solar panels. They’re ideal for capturing more sunlight, which results in rapid growth when combined with regular watering. If given the right conditions, these plants flourish by spreading their leaves and soaking up the rays.

 

 

Are Large Leaf House Plants Easy to Care For? 

The care that a house plant requires depends mainly on its species. Though, we have some general plant care instructions that many large leaf house plants benefit from:

 

  • Light: They usually need medium to bright indirect light.
  • Humidity: A lot of large leaf plants come from wet, tropical areas, so it’s best to keep the humidity up. This means regular misting or even a humidifier.
  • Watering: While the amount of water a plant needs can vary for different species, every house plant benefits from a set watering schedule. Remember, if the soil is dry several inches below the surface, it probably needs some water. 
  • Care: Large leaves easily collect dust and dirt, so it helps to wipe them down every once in a while.

 

Luckily, indoor plants are usually easier to take care of than outdoor plants. There’s no need to babysit your plant, keeping eyes on it day and night like a hawk. If you follow the care instructions, those small leaves will turn into large ones before you know it.

 

 

fiddle leaf fig in white room

 

 

How Big Can Large Leaf House Plants Grow? 

If you take large leaf house plants out of the house, they can grow into legit trees. If not contained in a pot, the rubber plant can grow into a 130-foot tall tree in its native habitat! Fortunately, we’re dealing with house plants here. With pruning and potting, these plants become a lot more manageable.  

 

When indoors, large leaf plants can range from less than a foot to 10-feet tall. The Monstera Deliciosa (or Swiss-cheese plant) takes the crown as the biggest and baddest of the large leaf house plants — come on, you know it’s going to be big when it has “monster” in its name!

 

What’s Another Name for Large Leaf House Plants? 

Large leaf house plants are also known as foliage plants. Makes sense given their name, right? These large house plants don’t often flower, but they shine in many other ways. For example, large leaves are great for purifying the air and providing shade for other indoor plants (or, for you, if the plant is big enough). Additionally, if you’re like me, flower fragrances are hit or miss, so with foliage plants, you won’t have to deal with any of that. Most importantly, though, foliage plants are eye-catching home decor and cast dynamic shadows — perfect for photos. 

 

 

What Are the Benefits of Large Leaf House Plants?

These are some of our favorite benefits of large leaf house plants:

 

  • Whether you know it or not, they are THE element that’s missing from your room. Because of the attention they attract, large leaf house plants are fantastic at tying a space together.
  • Put one in the corner as an anchor point, use several of them to frame other room elements, or even crown your favorite large indoor plant as a statement piece – the design possibilities are endless.
  • They’re certainly impressive. Just get one and see how many comments you get. I guarantee that when your friends come over, at least one person will be like, “Wow, cool plant! What is it?”
  • They’re beautiful, filling space with the green that we plant lovers can’t get enough of. Also, have we mentioned how photogenic they are?
  • Bigger is better, physically and mentally. Bigger plants mean more oxygen produced. Also, just being in the presence of plants has been linked to better mental health.
  • Large leaf house plants typically don’t flower. Whether this is a pro or con, it’s up to you. Many enjoy the simplicity of non-flowering plants.

 

Try it for yourself! Place your favorite large leaf plant in a room, arrange your furniture and decor around it, and experience the incredible difference for yourself. People will think you hired some fancy interior designer, but no, it’s just the plant.  Also, you might find yourself feeling better too. Increased productivity, reduced stress, and improved mood have all been linked to…you guessed it, plants! 

 

 

Popular Large Leaf House Plants 

 

Fiddle-Leaf Fig

With striking broad leaves, the Fiddle-Leaf Fig is one of the most popular modern house plants. It has beautiful green colors and pronounced veins that make it easy to admire. Interesting fact: the name comes from their unique violin-shaped leaves. 

 

The Fiddle-Leaf Fig is known to be a little hard to handle, requiring plenty of bright light (indirect light preferred but limited direct light could be beneficial), a moist environment, and frequent watering.

 

Monstera Deliciosa

The Monstera Deliciosa, or Swiss-cheese plant, is another millennial favorite. Even indoors, this one can grow large (up to 10-feet tall), so make sure you contain it in a suitable pot. The Swiss-cheese moniker comes from the holes in its leaves, which split as they mature. Some good news is that the Swiss-cheese plant is relatively low maintenance. It adapts well to different environments but will thrive with weekly waterings, a misting now and then, and bright or medium indirect light.

 

Related: Monstera Deliciosa: Easy Techniques for Monstera Upkeep

 

close up of split leaves

 

 

Rubber Tree Plant

Also known as Ficus Elastica, the Rubber Tree Plant’s leaves have that lovable and classic oval shape. But what really sets it apart is the deep green color and smooth, waxy leaves. Your Rubber Tree may not like fingers on its leaves, but it may still wind up becoming the most touched plant in your collection. The Rubber Tree Plant loves bright, indirect light and a good watering every 1 or 2 weeks. Extend its waterings to once a month during the winter months.

 

Elephant Ear Plant

The Elephant Ear is a plant that puts other large leaf house plants to shame. With leaves that can grow more than 2 feet wide, there’s no question how it got its name. If your goal is impressing your friends, there’s nothing more awe-inspiring than h-u-g-e leaves.  When grown as an indoor plant, these big guys need a suitable large pot, bright indirect light, and high humidity (through misting or even a humidifier).

 

Croton Petra

While other large leaf house plants tend to be shades of green, the Croton Petra is the one with style and glitz. Yellow and red run down the veins of the leaves, providing a stark contrast to the typical green foliage. If you want a plant that’s a bit flashier, this might be the one for you.

 

Like many other large leaf indoor plants, the Croton Petra hails from a tropical environment. This means they thrive in bright, indirect light, though limited direct sunlight is also beneficial. Croton Petras also prefer warm temperatures and medium to high humidity. 

 

(Tip: The more sunlight it gets, the more colorful the Croton Petra becomes!)

 

Bird of Paradise 

The Bird of Paradise may be the heart of the next indoor plant craze. It’s one of the most iconic outdoor plants because of its upright, banana-shaped leaves and unique flower that resembles a bird’s head. Bring it indoors, and some of that tropical plant flair comes with you, transporting you directly to vacation mode.

 

As an indoor plant, the Bird of Paradise will likely not bloom (sad, I know), but the lush green leaves are more than enough to transform a space. Ensure your plant’s success with bright direct or indirect light, warm temperatures, weekly watering, and the occasional misting. 

 

 

Final Thoughts – Large Leaf House Plants

Maybe you’re at home (like most of us recently) and thinking about doing some slight rearranging. After all, nobody likes staring at blank, boring, or dull walls every day. Maybe it’s just an aesthetic choice, or maybe it’s something deep down inside us that wants more of the outdoors in our lives. Either way, being in a home without any natural life can start to feel draining.

 

Home should be a space that revitalizes you physically and mentally, not saps you of energy. It should be a place you’re happy to wake up in. If you’re feeling like your home could use a change, what you need is an indoor plant. Even better — a large leaf house plant, because bigger leaves make a bigger impact on your space and happiness!

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