6 Southern Magnolia

Southern magnolia has large, fragrant, white flowers that reach up to 30 centimeters in diameter. The blossoms are cup-shaped with six thick petals wider at the tip. They open in the day, close at night, and discolor easily if bruised.

Magnolia grandiflora, popularly known as “southern magnolia,” is a large tree native to the southeastern United States. The tree bears very large, fragrant, white flowers that appear on its thick, tough stems. The flowers are cup-shaped, about eight inches across, and can reach up to 30 centimeters in diameter. The tree itself can reach a striking height of 90 feet.

The blossoms are large with numerous stamens and carpels arranged spirally. They do not produce nectar. However, they attract pollinators with their sweet fragrance and secretions. The flowers produce cone-like seed pods filled with large red seeds.

When these pods open, the seeds fall and hang by silky threads. The blossoms of Magnolia grandiflora open about 9:00 a.m. and then close at night for two to three days. During this phase, it sheds its stamens and then reopens, turns brown, and falls apart. (1, 2)

7 Tree Peony

The tree peony is a large woody shrub known for its large, prolific blooms that can grow over 25 centimeters in diameter. The flowers come in single, semi-double, or double forms. The most common is the double form with blossoms in striking pastel shades of red, pink, and white.

Tree peonies are multi-stemmed woody shrubs with one of the world’s biggest flowers that can grow 25 centimeters in diameter. The perennial peonies have blooms that bloom in late spring to early summer. The flower buds of tree peonies do not produce any nectar to attract ants. As the season advances, these buds start to swell and reach the size of a small apple before turning into a flower with the size of a salad plate.

Tree peonies come in single, semi-double, or double forms. Single forms have one to three rows of petals that are usually wide, large, and flat. They have five or more guard petals surrounding the center part of the flower-bearing stamen.

The semi-double form has more than one large and close-fitting layer of petals and the crown of the flower is exposed. The double form has multiple rows of petals emerging from the crown that itself is covered by petals. (1, 2)

8 Talipot Palm

The talipot palm is a large palm tree bearing the largest inflorescence of any plant. The inflorescence is 20 to 26 feet long and consists of one to several million creamy white blooms.

The talipot palm of tropical Sri Lanka and India is one of the largest palms in the world, with heights of up to 82 feet and stems up to four feet in diameter. The palm has a huge panicle or inflorescence of creamy white blooms that can rise to 26 feet from the center of the cluster. The flowers are borne on a branched stalk that forms at the top of the tree trunk.

The palm produces flowers just once in its lifetime when it’s between 30 and 80 years old. The fruit matures after about a year, producing thousands of green-yellow fruits, each containing a single seed. The palm then dies after fruiting. (1, 2)

9 Carrion Flower

The carrion flower is a succulent with large, star-shaped blooms up to 25 centimeters in diameter. The five-petalled red and yellow flowers are wrinkled and fringed with hairs that can be as long as eight millimeters.

Stapelia gigantea, aka carrion flower, is a clump-forming succulent with thick green stems that grow up to 20 centimeters tall. The blooms are star-shaped, five-petalled, red- and yellow-colored flowers, with a silky texture. The flower is up to 25 centimeters in diameter with hairy fringes and produces a foul odor to attract flies. It blooms in fall, triggered by the shorter daylight hours.

Several proposed reasons for the pollination of Stapelia gigantea flowers exist. First, the colors and large size of the flowers are the reasons behind pollinators visiting the flowers. Second, the smell of rotting flesh may make the flies more likely to land on the flower. (1, 2)

10 Hibiscus 

The moy grande hibiscus produces some of the biggest flowers of any hardy perennial hibiscus. Its pink or red blooms can measure over 12 inches across.

Moy grande is a hybrid descendant of the perennial hibiscus or rose mallow, producing some of the largest flowers that can measure over 12 inches across. The deep cherry pink or red flowers are usually seen from summer until early fall. Due to their bold and vibrant color, the flowers make for an excellent choice for a perennial garden and landscape.

They add delightful color to a setting throughout the scorching days when many other blooms fade due to the summer heat. These dinner-plate-sized flowers are loved by butterflies and bees that play a major role in pollinating them.

Moy grande can reach up to five feet tall. They are durable and clump-forming, developing larger root masses from time to time. With the proper potting mix, the hibiscus flowers are also a great choice for pots or containers. (Source)