Nature

How big is Rafflesia arnoldii?

Rafflesia arnoldii is about 1 m (3 ft 3 in) across.

What is measured: flower diameter

Rafflesia arnoldii (1 m) drawn to scale beside a bowling pin (38.1 cm) and an adult person (1.7 m)
Drawn to scale, from left to right: Bowling pin (38.1 cm), Rafflesia arnoldii (1 m) and Adult person (1.7 m).

Compare

How big is that, really?

  • About 59% of the height of an adult person
  • About 50% of the height of a doorway
  • About 2.6× the height of a bowling pin
  • About 6 would fit end to end along a 20-foot shipping container
  • About 6.8× the height of a smartphone

Learn

Facts about Rafflesia arnoldii

Rafflesia arnoldii produces the world’s largest individual flower, which can reach about one meter across and smells of rotting meat.

Source: Kew Science — Rafflesia arnoldii; Encyclopaedia Britannica — Rafflesia

Nature

NameSizeCompared with Rafflesia arnoldii
Giant panda70 cm (2 ft 4 in)0.7×
Rafflesia arnoldii1 m (3 ft 3 in)this page
Coconut crab1 m (3 ft 3 in)same size
Galápagos giant tortoise1.1 m (3 ft 7 in)1.1×
Snow leopard1.3 m (4 ft 3 in)1.3×
Okapi1.7 m (5 ft 7 in)1.7×
Red kangaroo1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)1.8×
Welwitschia2 m (6 ft 7 in)2×
Moeraki Boulder2.2 m (7 ft 3 in)2.2×
Harpy eagle2.2 m (7 ft 3 in)2.2×

Test your sense of scale

Which is bigger: Rafflesia arnoldii or Snow leopard?

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