Sir Stamford Raffles Archives

A Floral Legacy: Sir Stamford Raffles and the Colossal Corpse Lily

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. July 5, 2024 On this day, nearly two centuries ago, the world bid farewell to a most remarkable gentleman, Sir Stamford Raffles. It was on this very date in 1826 that he departed…

The Largest Flower in the World Today is the anniversary of the death of Sir Stamford Raffles. Eight years before he died, Raffles described the Arnold’s rafflesia, the largest flower in the world. “The magnificent plants have no leaves, no roots, and no stem. The entire flower measures about a yard across and weighs about…