The plant that holds the biggest bloom in the world is a species called Rafflesia arnoldii. The flowers that appear on this plant can grow to be nearly three and a half feet in diameter. That massive span also makes for a considerable total weight for this flower. In some cases, a Rafflesia arnoldii flower can weigh as much as 24 pounds at maturity. However, the size of this flower is far from its only remarkable quality.
Rafflesia arnoldii comes from rainforest regions on islands such as Borneo and Sumatra. Interestingly, this plant grows in a way that is unlike that of most plants you’re likely familiar with. In contrast to many of the most prominent plants in the world, Rafflesia arnoldii lacks leaves and roots. While those plant structures are what allow most plants to absorb light and nutrients, Rafflesia arnoldii finds a more unique way to survive.
This species belongs to a group of plants known as obligate parasites. Obligate parasites don’t have the ability to survive without the help of a host plant. Without the support of a host plant, an obligate parasite will have no means by which it can continue its life cycle and reproduce. The Rafflesia arnoldii plant has one specific group upon which it depends, which are vine species within the Tetrastigma genus. Tetrastigma vines live in the same region as Rafflesia arnoldii and supply the world’s largest flower with the moisture and fuel it needs to survive.
With no need for leaves, roots, or any other common plant structures, the Rafflesia arnoldii plant can dedicate nearly all of its biomass toward growing a single gigantic flower. When this plant finds a suitable host and growing conditions, it will begin the months-long process of flower development. This process begins with the emergence of the flower bud. That bud itself is also the largest flower bud in the world, with the largest specimen occurring in Sumatra in 1956, measuring about 17 inches in diameter.
After the long effort needed to create a Rafflesia arnoldii flower, that flower will typically last for no more than a few days. But during that short existence, this flower makes itself known in more ways than one. Not only is the Rafflesia arnoldii flower larger than any other, but it also gives off an incredibly unsavory scent that has led many to call this plant the corpse flower. But that stench has a purpose as it attracts flies and other pollinating insects. If those insects manage to visit both a male and a female Rafflesia arnoldii plant, fruit in the form of seed-filled berries will emerge, allowing the flower to reproduce successfully.
As you can now see, the Rafflesia arnoldii plant has many qualities that make it different from most other plants. Among those distinguishing traits is the fact that this plant creates the biggest bloom in the world. But as the information above shows, the growth habit and means of reproduction these plants rely on are quite interesting as well. As such, Rafflesia arnoldii has earned recognition as one of three official national flowers of Indonesia and continues to gain renown throughout the world for its enormous blooms.