The Death Scented Rafflesia Flower

The world’s largest flower, which smells like rotting flesh

Category Extraordinary Flora

The Rafflesia arnoldii, a rare and endangered plant known as the "giant panda of the plant world” bears the world’s largest flower. A parasitic plant, the Rafflesia lives most of its life within the roots of another plant. Eventually a blossom breaks through the root, grows up to three feet wide, and smells almost exactly like a dead body.

Known as the corpse flower or carrion flower, the Rafflesia releases a scent that smells like a rotting corpse, and the flowers petals bear a similar coloration to that of rotten meat. And while the flower smells terrible to humans, it smells like dinner to the carrion beetles and flesh flies, which swarm all over the corpse flowers and help them pollinate.

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  • Address The rain-forests of Borneo and Sumatra, Indonesia
  • Cost There are a number of Safaris centered around the Rafflesia, two websites of which will be noted here: Rafflesia Flower Jungle Adventure ($90 per person, available all year around.) Rafflesia Safari (Starting at $64.63 per person, available year round) Prices for both of these tours include a meal, an English-speaking naturalist guide, and transport to the group destinations
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Comments

  • & Anonymous September 29, 2009
    HELLO everyone did you no the rafflesia is big.Are you scared about
  • & Anonymous September 29, 2009
    Aaah!the canned vampire theeth make me feel 'very scared'!
  • & Anonymous July 13, 2009
    Oooh... I wanna see that for real. Even if it'll stink. XD

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