Rafflesia arnoldii ball

Giant Rafflesia Flower grown by Human Hands for the first time on the Planet!

A world first has almost certainly occurred as our friend in Sumatra Joni Hartono has successfully propagated a Rafflesia arnoldii. Rafflesia arnoldii is the worlds largest true flower. It is also quite rare.

This plant only grows by the seed germinating in a Tetrastigma sp. vine!! It develops inside the vine over a few years and finally emerges to form the ‘ball’ as seen in the photo. The ball is still connected to the vine with an `umbilical` cord. Joni posted this photo on 1st of February saying its ready to bloom!! See the next photos of it opening.

Rafflesia arnoldii unfurling

Here is the same plant propagated by Joni Hartono starting to bloom this morning. Here you are witnessing almost certainly a world first as Joni has germinated the rafflesia seed in the host vine and grown it to develop into a mature and flowering Rafflesia.
Hoping for a fully opened flower soon.

Rafflesia arnoldii starting to open

Here it is again this morning as the Rafflesia arnoldii opens further in Sumatra.

Rafflesia arnoldii Flower & Joni

A World First
Here is Joni Hartono with his fully opened fully opened Rafflesia arnoldii at his home in Sumatra. See the previous pictures to see how he propagated this plant….almost certainly the first person to do so by establishing a Rafflesia seed in a host plant, a vine called Testrastigma….just as its done in nature. Rafflesia has no roots and must grow inside the vine and when it finally emerged after two years it formed a melon like ball (first photos about) still attached to the vine by an ‘umbilical chord’. Over the last week it has been opening up into this magnificent flower, the worlds largest true flower.

Congratulations to Joni. A great achievement only made possible by his persistence and passion.