There are a great variety of plants with large leaves and red flowers. Large leaves create a lush, tropical look in the garden, while red flowers tend to attract the eyes. Several plants with red flowers can be planted together to make a harmonious color scheme.
Trees provide vertical landscaping elements while casting filtered shade on plants that do not enjoy full sun conditions. Hong Kong orchid tree (Bauhinia blakeana) reaches 20 feet tall and 25 feet wide with deep rose-red orchid-like flowers and heart-shaped, thick leaves 5 to 8 inches wide. This tropical flamboyant tree drops its leaves for a short time in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11. African tuliptree (Spathodea campanulata) reaches 80 feet tall under ideal growing conditions in USDA plant hardiness zones 10 and 11. The leaves reach 12 to 24 inches long, presenting a bronze color when first emerging at the branch ends. Large red-orange tulip-like flowers appear during the spring and occasionally through summer. When exposed to freezing temperatures, the tuliptree drops its leaves, which grow back in the spring.
Shrubs are good foundation plants or hedges and accent shorter plants. Tropical snowball (Dombeya spp.) produces bright red summer flowers -- in USDA plant hardiness zones 9 through 11 -- on a 6- to 10-foot shrub covered with 8- to 12-inch-long evergreen leaves. Red hot cat’s tail (Acalypha hispida) is a broadleaf evergreen in USDA plant hardiness zones 10 and 11, with leaves reaching over 8 inches long. This 4- to 6-foot-tall shrub produces 18-inch-long, cattail-like red flower clusters.
Flowers provide garden texture and color during the warmer seasons of the year. Red Butterflies milkweed (Asclepias curassavica “Red Butterflies”) reaches 36 inches tall with clusters of red and yellow summer flowers on top of upright stems covered with 5-inch-long green leaves; it is suited for USDA plant hardiness zones 8 through 11. Crocosmia flowers (Crocosmia spp.) attract hummingbirds with their bright red flowers in USDA zones 6 through 10. The sword-shaped ribbed leaves reach 2 to 3 feet tall. More crocosmia with large leaves and red flowers include “Lucifer” crocosmia (Crocosmis “Lucifer”), “Carmine Brilliant” crocosmia (Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora “Carmine Brilliant”) and “Mistral” crocosmia (Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora “Mistral”).
Vines with large leaves can cover unsightly walls and fences quickly, while the blooms are visually pleasing. Crimson passionflower (Passiflora vitifolia) produces exotic red summer flowers and evergreen, shiny grape-like leaves reaching over 6 inches long on 15- to 20-foot-long stems. Passionflowers grow well on trellises, arbors and fences. Petatillo vines (Thenardia floribunda) grow evergreen, lance-shaped leaves 4 to 5 inches long on stems reaching 8 to 10 feet long. Red-violet summer flowers appear in clusters and smell slightly like star jasmine. Both passionflower and petatillo are best suited for USDA plant hardiness zones 10 and 11.
Your Planting Articles
- Monrovia: Hong Kong Orchid Trees
- Floridata: Spathodea Campanulata
- University of Florida IFAS Extension: Dombeya spp. Tropical Snowball
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Acalypha Hispida
- Monrovia: Red Butterflies Milkweed
- Washington State University Master Gardeners of Clark County – African Bulbs: Crocosmia
- San Marcos Growers: Passiflora Vitifolia "Scarlet Flame" -- Red Granadilla
- San Marcos Growers: Thenardia Floribunda – Petatillo