Big flowers

• Written by Holly Hughes on April 07, 2022

In the world of flowers, big is always better. There is nothing so sensational as the sight of big, lustrous blooms overflowing with petals and radiating warmth and joy.

While we often think of flowers as small and dainty, the opposite is true of so many species. Around the world, there exists all manner of plants with huge flowers, from big parasitic giants to elusive water lilies.

In this article, we’re going to celebrate the mystery and majesty of big flowering plants – from the terrifying to the splendorous! Read on to find out about the world’s big blooms and the dinnerplate showstoppers you can grow in your own garden or add to a favorite bouquet.

The biggest flower in the world

The largest individual flower in the world is the awesome and somewhat terrifying Rafflesia arnoldii. This incredible specimen, which is found in Indonesian rainforests, can grow three feet in diameter and weigh up to 20 pounds - that’s pretty big!

This plant, known as the “monster flower”, is equally notorious for the repulsive odor it emits. With a strong scent similar to rotting meat, Rafflesia arnoldii attracts insects in order to pollinate.

Relying on a pristine rainforest to survive, this jaw-dropping marvel is threatened by the increasing destruction of its habitat as climate change and deforestation accelerate.

The second biggest flower in the world

Sharing the same repugnant odor, Amorphophallus titanum is the second largest flower in the world. Due to its foul-smelling scent, it’s also known as corpse flower and can be found in Asia, Africa, and Australia.

This big behemoth is truly unbelievable in its structure. It has the biggest unbranched inflorescence of any flowering plant, reaching up to 12 feet in height and weighing a mind boggling 170 pounds!

Other giant flowers

The water lily or, to be more exact, Victoria amazonica is the biggest organism in the water lily family, is another giant blossom. Native to the tropics of South America this massive bloom sits on a lily pad that can hold up to 65 pounds!

The flower itself is the size of a soccer ball and emits a pineapple scent when it slowly – and rarely – unfurls at nighttime. To see this big bloom open truly is a miracle to behold.

Flowers with large blooms for your garden

These big flower plants, though mesmerizing and extraordinary, are perhaps not a realistic addition to our gardens. Even if they were, most of us would probably prefer to avoid the scent of rotting meat amongst our plants.

Luckily, there are many types of large flowers that are easily grown at home that not only have big bloom flowers but equally captivating colors and fragrances that will add drama and wonder to any garden or floral arrangement. Here’s some of the most popular flowers with large petals to enjoy.

Sunflowers

The brightest and one of the most well-known of the plant giants, is there a bigger or brighter bloom than a sunflower? Native to the Americas, sunflowers have been showing off their big inflorescent heads for thousands of years. Cheerful and warm, these are the perfect big plant to bring happiness into your garden or add to a joyful or celebratory bouquet.

Impressively, with the right growing conditions and enough room, sunflowers can grow to over a foot in diameter and sprout to 30 feet tall! Most beautifully, their big sunny heads are bursting with hundreds, and even thousands of disc flowers, which makes them so attention grabbing in appearance.

Tree Peony

​Peonies of any variety are a big and bright explosion of color. However, tree peonies in particular, with their firework-like blooms, offer spectacularly big blossoms to enjoy. Some of its flowers stretch to ten inches in diameter and, coming in such delightful red, pink, purple and yellow shades, are a delightful and dramatic addition to a spring garden or bouquet.

Read all about peonies here.

Hydrangea

Of course, one cannot talk of big blooms without speaking of the infamously poofy flowers of hydrangea plants. Their enormous heads, overflowing with sprays of delicate color are a wonderful example of the versatility big blossoms can have in any garden.

To ensure the biggest flowers, choose species like the Hydrangea arborescens also known as the ‘Annabelle’, which has blooms 12 inches in size.

Read all about hydrangea flowers here.

Giant roses plants

While we know roses to be full blooms with lots of petals, many people aren’t aware of the big varieties of roses available. There are many types of big roses with even more boisterous and show-stopping blooms.

Grandiflora roses, for example, can grow from 6 to 8 feet tall and produce showy, clustered blooms. Hybrid tea roses are also varieties yielding wondrously big blooms, with petal counts between 30 and 50 while English roses, created from heirloom varieties by breeder David Austin, contain 140 petals or more per bud and produce big, six-inch flowers throughout the season.

Find out how to grow roses easily in your garden here or discover more interesting facts about this famous plant here.

Big flowers with lots of petals add instant and exquisite drama to a bouquet. Their breathtaking beauty elevates every arrangement into the stratosphere of extraordinary and is the perfect way to express your feelings to a loved one, or to show a bit of self-care to yourself.

So, the next time you’re ordering some flowers online or choosing the blooms for your monthly flower subscription, be sure to choose a bouquet that puts big, poofy flowers center stage. These flower delivery services offer myriad arrangements featuring everything from giant sunflowers to the bursting blooms of dahlias.

The best floral delivery services:

• SendFlowers
• FromYouFlowers
• 1800Flowers

The best subscription services:

• EnjoyFlowers
• BloomsyBox
• MonthlyClubs