A Botanist’s Quest to Grow the World’s Largest Flower

Great Big Story visited Sofi Mursidawati of Bogor Botanical Gardens, who has been on a quest to understand the remarkable growth pattern of the Rafflesia, a parasitic plant that grows underground with no stems, no leaves, and no roots. What this plant does have to offer, however, are gorgeous flowers that are the largest flowers in the world. They are also very fussy.

Taking years to grow from seed to flower, it undergoes most of its long life hidden discreetly on the forest floor. When finally ready, it explodes into the largest flower in the world….Armed with some creative thinking and an endless supply of patience, the team at Bogor Botanical Gardens embarked on an outrageous quest to grow the flower in the middle of a bustling city.