Big leaves, no color

I had a dream a few weeks ago. This was one of those dreams that comes back strongly throughout the next day, washing over you with a vision so strong that for a moment it feels more like a memory than a dream.

In the dream I was in bed on a sunny morning, lying there lazily the way you only can when the sun is shining and the sky blue, with nothing planned but a day of puttering around in the garden. It was an autumn morning but still warm enough we were sleeping with the window open. I lay there admiring the burning red color of the huge Tetrapanax leaves and thinking how beautiful they were, maybe even gloating a bit about how smart I was to have planted the Tetrapanax where I could admire it from bed.

That was it; the entire dream was just about how beautiful those leaves were.

There are two things "wrong" with this dream; first of all I can’t see any of my 3 patches of Tetrapanax from my bedroom window. Secondly, there is not a bit of red in even the best Tetrapanax leaf come autumn. This is as good as it gets…

Or maybe this, a big golden leaf...

Remembering that dream I got to thinking about how all of my “big leaves” really come up short this time of the year. Here's another Tetrapanax doing NOTHING....

This one is thinking about blooming. I've never seen a Tetrapanax bloom in my garden, the only other time I've had one even come close to blooming a freeze got it before anything really developed.

I thought the big leaves of Rheum palmatum (Ornamental Rhubarb) might put on a colorful show but so far, not.

No color from the silly Musa Basjoo...

Bocconia frutescens is supposed to be evergreen, so I shouldn't be seeing any color here, but some of the lower leaves are turning golden. That's probably not a good sign. I guess if it's fall color I'm after this is an instance when a Hydrangea quercifolia would be a better choice.

Although these little nubbins (I'd love to know the correct term) are getting bigger and look to be a sign of the plants overall health.

While I am appreciative of the lovely color of my Melianthus major 'Antonow's Blue' that's the same shade it's been all year...

No color here. But then the only color I might be seeing from this Alocasia is brown when the leaves freeze. Since our first frost is predicted for tonight or tomorrow night maybe I should be doing something to protect these...

Syneilesis aconitifolia golden yes. Beautiful, no.

And my final example of big leaves with no fabulous seasonal color...

Magnolia macrophylla

This is the best "colorful leaf" I could find.

Maybe this lack of color in the big leaves is natures way of evening the score? Smaller leaves finally get all the attention for October and November while the big leaves retreat into the background.

If you've got a big leaf that displays a little seasonal color in your garden I'd love to hear about it!