These 5 Supersized Flowers Are a Maximalist's Dream – Bold, Flamboyant and Impossible to Ignore

As a fan of bestselling author Barbara Kingsolver, I was intrigued when she recently shared that she had finally fulfilled a childhood dream of seeing the world’s largest flower, Amorphophallus titanum, in bloom in its native habitat of northern Sumatra.

In her caption, Kingsolver wrote about being obsessed as a child with a photo of botanist Hugo de Vries standing next to the corpse flower (its common name, thanks in no small part to its famous rotting flesh smell). She decided that she too wanted to see it one day, understanding that "this meant wanting to be the kind of person who will go to wild places, take chances outside of everyday comfort, talk to people who know their land, ask lots of questions, hike into deep jungles and scramble up steep banks."

Decades later, she made the long trek into the Sumatran jungle to witness the rare flower in person – a plant that can take several years to bloom and, when it finally does, lasts just 24–48 hours.

While most of us will never make the hike into northern Sumatra to witness the blooming of the corpse flower, Kingsolver’s story got me thinking: what are some of the most outrageously large flowers we can grow in our own backyards? Turns out, there are quite a few – and none come with a deathly stench. Here are my top five.

1. Dinner Plate Dahlias

The name of these flowers, dinner plate dahlias, is not given simply because it sounds cute. These actually can grow up to the size of an average dinner plate, or about 8-12 inches across. These are major showstoppers and will for sure make people stop mid-conversation to ask what on earth it is that you’re growing.

"Emory Paul", available to buy online from Eden Brothers, is famed for being the biggest, with magnificent fuchsia flowers. However, the most in-demand dinner plate is the delightfully creamy "Café au Lait", available on its own, or in this dreamy Celestial Mix. often used for weddings.

Other notable dinner plate varieties include “Kelvin Floodlight” (bright yellow), and “Labyrinth” (a blend of apricot, peach, and soft pink).

The dinner plate will definitely require staking (the massive blooms get extremely heavy) and deadheading often for continuous blooms.

2. Tree Peonies

Herbaceous peonies are a beloved garden staple, but their more dramatic, woody-stemmed cousins are tree peonies, and they often produce much larger flowers. These can get up to 8-10 inches across with several layers of ruffled petals in gorgeous colors like purple, yellow, and even coral blends. Varieties include “High Noon” (bright yellow), “Shimane Chojuraku” (dark pink), and “Zhao Fen” (light pink).

While they are much slower to establish, taking 3-5 years to really hit their stride, once they do, they get better every year. Basically, you’ll have peonies on steroids.

Tree peonies are harder to source than other types and can be pricy – Peony's Envy stocks a lovely selection. Alternatively, try some of the more flamboyant herbaceous varieties that rival the size of tree peonies, such as "Bowl of Beauty", available from Votaniki via Amazon.

3. Hibiscus

Hibiscus varieties produce blooms that can reach an absolutely ridiculous size of 10-12 inches across. If you’re thinking of those popular Hawaiian shirts, these are not the same. These cold-hardy perennials die each winter, but they return bigger and bolder than ever each spring.

They’re super low-maintenance, thrive in full sun, and can tolerate a variety of soil conditions. A mature, hardy hibiscus can reach 4-5 feet tall, and while each flower only lasts about a day (what is up with these flowers that only bloom for 24 hours?!), the plants produce so many buds that you’ll have continuous flowers from July through September.

White and pink "Kopper King", available from Hirt's Garden Store via Amazon, is one of the biggest, while "Midnight Marvel", from FastGrowingTrees.com, really makes a statement with bold red blooms.

4. Magnolia

While we normally think of magnolias as part of a tree, the individual flowers are seriously big. Some varieties can reach up to 10 inches across! The most famous of these is the Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), and the fragrance is simply lovely (especially compared to Kingsolver’s corpse flower, which smells like death). If your yard is on the smaller side, then "Little Gem" from Nature Hills is a lovely compact Southern magnolia with 8-inch blooms.

If you live in a cooler climate, saucer magnolias (Magnolia × soulangeana), available from Walmart, can put on a truly spectacular display.

Of course, a magnolia is a bigger commitment since you're committing to growing a whole tree rather than just a perennial flower bed. But, if you have the patience and space, a mature specimen in full bloom is a sight to behold.

5. Angel's Trumpet

Angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia) produces trumpet-shaped flowers that can grow up to 12-20 inches long. They hang downward, and the scent is intoxicating.

These can grow quite large in a single season (6-8 feet) and produce incredibly dramatic flowers in colors ranging from white and yellow to peach and pink. You can get a whole angel's trumpet tree in a light pink color at Walmart.

Note: Brugmansia is highly toxic if ingested, so plant with caution if you have pets or children.

The Appeal of Giant Blooms

Even if you’re not much of a gardener, there is something about oversized flowers that is genuinely thrilling. It feels like you're breaking some unwritten rule about appropriate flower size.

That sense of wonder, the "how is that even possible" reaction to an impossibly large flower, can be accessible right in your own garden. You just need to plant the right things and wait for a season or two.