Ok, I have limited experience and perhaps this is not the right forum - as I am aksing about all plants, not just tropicals -The most distinctive leaf shape? As I watch movies I am looking at the plants in the background and I have one plant that I always recognize even if it is out of focus and and far away - my candidate: Papaya.
Most distinctive leaf?
Wow, too tough to choose! That's like asking a gardener to choose a favorite flower.
Practically every plant has a different leaf, shape, size, colors from white to black and everything in between, thickness, shiny or dull, spotted, striped, splashed, camo. I'm sitting here looking out my window at my back yard, and I can see a hundred different leaves without even breaking a sweat.
Papaya sure are recognizable, but I wouldn't say distinctive. Around here Castor Bean plants grow in the ditches with leaves very similar in size and shape to papaya.
Take a look at Nymphaea Victoria http://www.flickr.com/photos/bika3000/4094552719/ - leaves can get as big as a pool table and have a raised edge like a tray. Now that might actually be a plant you'd absolutely recognize every time as you speed by at 50mph.
Looking out my window I am lucky to see some green grass since we jujst went through a warm spell.
That's why everybody from up there is down here right now, LoL.
We have very different views of the world.
How 'bout these leaves? I grew about a dozen big plants of these coleus last year from one little start. They kept making different color combinations on the leaves according to how much sun they got and how hot it was.
Oops, third pic is Philodendron 'Prince of Orange' that puts out red, orange or pink new leaves that then turn darker and darker green as they age.
If you want to see a dazzling array of leaf forms and colors, go to the Bromeliads forum, or the Begonia forum, too. Mind boggling.
I like the leaves on my Breadfruit, Artocarpus altilis. They're huge with an attractive shape. Lotus leaves look great as well.
Dyzzypyxxy, that photo on Flickr is mislabeled. The genus is Victoria, not Nymphaea which are your 'ordinary' waterlilies. The photo looks like it's Victoria cruziana. A beautiful plant ..... if you've got the room.
Elaine, My P. 'Mooonlight' bloomed from October straight through the end of February.
This message was edited Mar 25, 2012 7:21 AM
how about monstera
Yes, Monstera just might win. Given it is an older, good leaf and not a young heart shaped one.
This message was edited Mar 25, 2012 8:53 AM
Banana
Rice Paper Plant, Tetrapanax, has great leaves. On a mature plant they are huge.
How about gunnera. It has exceptional leaves. Sorry no pictures.
OR an AE AE banana.
The leaves are too high up in my breadfruit tree for a good photo, but here's a couple of fallen ones with a size 11 boot for comparison.
Wow I bet that is gorgeous!!!! I'm gonna go look up breadfruit trees!!!
AeAe?
Beautiful homer1958!!! Mine only has 2 leaves and I have celebrated each new one!!!
Are AeAe pups still getting $100?
Ensete Maurelli?
Yes!!! gasrocks.
Wow!! Incredible
You might look into the new Thai variegated bananas. Someone here on DG was selling very large (5') pups. They are supposed to be hardier than the AeAe's.
Some of my favorites are>
Those are all quite distinctive!!!!
Yes, we have some unique plants here in Florida, lots of cool looking brom's>
Beautiful!!!! I have such zone envy!!!
Broms have amazing variety of foliage, for sure!
