Rafflesia The World's Largest Flower

 They are the world’s biggest flowering plants. Native to the rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo in Indonesia, this flowering plant can measure up to three feet across and weigh 15 pounds! Amazingly, the plant has no leaves or stems. To see the world’s largest flower, you need to visit its native lands and trek into remote rainforests. Or if you are fortunate, you may find one of the few botanical gardens in Asia that grows them for display or scientific study. We are not aware of any botanical garden or arboretum in North America that has one on display. And, you must go and see it at the right time. The Rafflesia flower blooms just three to five days a year.

Rafflesia flowers do not grow in soil. Rather, it is a parasitic plant that attaches itself to other plants for nutrients. It targets Tetrastigma vines for its host. In bloom, the Rafflesia plant emits an offensive odor, smelling like rotted meat. The strong scent attracts insect pollinators. The plant has no leaves stem or roots. Nutrient absorbing “threads” rob water and nutrients from the host plant.

We offer no 
“How to Grow” information. The plant is not available to the average gardener.  And, we are not aware of any botanical gardens in the United States that grows this huge, smelly flowering plant. And, many people in the U.S. are not even aware that the plant exists.

Did You Know? The flower is edible. It is used in energy drinks and as an aphrodisiac. In Southeast Asia, the buds and blossoms are a delicacy.