var. giganteum - the largest-leaved form, with glossy, rounded, kidney-shaped leaves up to a foot or more across. Photo: Daderot, CC0.Giant leopard plant (Farfugium japonicum) is an evergreen perennial grown for its large, glossy, rounded leaves, up to a foot across, held on long stalks in a bold clump 18 to 24 inches high. Yellow daisies on 30-inch stems appear in fall, when little else in the shade is flowering, but the foliage is the point. It is a structural plant for moist, shaded beds, along a pond edge or in a large container.
It needs steady moisture and shelter from direct sun, which scorches the leaves; morning sun with afternoon shade suits it. Plant 18 to 24 inches apart in rich soil that holds water but drains, and never let it dry out in summer. Slugs and snails chew the leaves, and a wet, shaded bed is where they live, so patrol in the evening.
At the cold end of its range, zone 7, it is marginal and survives only in a protected spot with a heavy winter mulch; the leaves collapse in a hard freeze and the crown regrows in spring. Many growers keep it in a container and move it under cover for winter. Divide the clump in spring. Deer leave it alone. It is native to the streamsides and coasts of Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
Crown Rot
Lower leaves yellow and wilt; the base of the rosette turns brown and soft, sometimes with white fungal threads at the soil line. Plants collapse in wet conditions.
Remove and destroy affected plants. Improve drainage and avoid overhead watering. Do not mulch directly against the crown. Space plants for airflow and avoid replanting in the same wet spot.
Fungal leaf spot
Brown or purplish spots on the leaves, often ringed with a yellow halo, that spread and merge in warm, humid, or wet weather; heavily spotted leaves yellow and drop early.
Pick off spotted leaves and clear fallen debris to remove overwintering spores. Improve air circulation by thinning, and water at the base so foliage dries quickly. If it persists, apply a copper- or sulfur-based fungicide at the first sign.
Grey Field Slug
Deroceras reticulatum →Large irregular holes chewed in leaves, with slime trails on foliage and soil.
Hand-pick at night, set beer traps, or apply iron phosphate bait. Remove debris and mulch where they hide.