8 Most Unique and Vulnerable Plants from Indonesia

Most of the regions in Indonesia covered by rain forests such as in Sumatera, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua. That makes Indonesia has so many plants growing in these rain forest. Some of the events have a unique kind of plants that only exist in Indonesia.

Here we have some of the most vulnerable and unique plants from Indonesia. Some of them may unfamiliar for you since not any regions in Indonesia have them. Now, sit tight and check the list below. May some of them have grown near you!

1. Titan Arum

The Titan Arum is the largest native plant in Indonesia that originally comes from Sumatra, Indonesia. This flower is so popular and becomes the largest flower in the world which can bloom and grow up until about five meters.

Facts of Titan Arum is one of the families of the taros tribe with the Roman name Amorphophallus Titanium Becc. The flower was discovered for the first time in 1878 by Odoardo Beccari in Sumatra, Indonesia.

When the Titan Arum blooms, it has beautiful pink and green colors. The yellow part as pollen is so beautiful right in the middle of the flower. It has a stinky unique smell that does not like other flowers. Besides, it will only bloom in every 20 – 40 years at once.

2. Rafflesia Arnoldii

Rafflesia Arnoldii has beautiful colors such as red, orange, and yellow. It has a unique smell such as the Titan Arum. That is why people can be mistaken this flower to the Titan Arum.

Rafflesia Arnoldii found in the south of Sumatera for the first time by Sir Thomas Raffles. It spreads in some regions such as Bengkulu and Jambi. You can specifically find it at Kerinci national park in Jambi.

Rafflesia Arnoldii flower has almost similar to the Titan Arum not only with the smell, but also the size. Once it blooms, it can bloom up to 1m of the diameter and about 10kg of weight.

3. Javanese Edelweiss

Javanese Edelweiss is a rare flower that only grows in Java island mountains. This flower has a unique growth in which it can grow up even after the volcano eruption. The flower still growing and ready to bloom in the exact time.

Commonly, Javanese Edelweiss will beautifully bloom in April until August which the stem can grow up until about 8m tall. This flower has white and yellow colors which integrate perfectly in the mountain temperature.

You can find the Javanese Edelweiss flower facts in the Rinjani mount, Gede Mount, Pangrango mount, and the Papandayan mount. Usually, some hikers take these flowers as a souvenir without trying to replant them. That is why nowadays the flower is in danger facing its extinction.

4. The Black Orchid

The black orchid originally comes from Papua and Kalimantan. In Papua, this flower has a beautiful color with an integrated color between black on its petal and the pink with a little yellow in the middle of it.

In Kalimantan, you can find that Black orchid has a green color on its petal and the black right in the middle of it. Both Kalimantan and Papua black orchid is only you can find in Indonesia. That is why this flower becomes everyone favorite not only from flowers in Indonesia but also a foreigner.

Black orchid from Papua has an expensive price and it is becoming a great business commodity in Papua. One seed of this black orchid claim can sell up to IDR100 million.

5. Kantong Semar

Kantong Semar or Nepenthes is a flower that originally comes from Indonesia. You may found it around the south of Asia, but Indonesia has the most population on it. The flower is so unique with a size like a bag.

Kantong Semar uses some insects as its prey and has a pretty smell from the nectar gland. That is why some insects will come to the Kantong Semar because it beautiful smells.

6. Orchid Cane

Orchid Cane has a Roman name of Grammatophyllum speciosum which claims as to the biggest orchid in the world. One flower of Orchid Cane can be weight as much as 1 ton. The flower can grow up to 3m tall with a flower diameter of about 10cm. You can find orchid cane in Sumatera, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Papua, and New Guinea.

7. Cendana

Cendana flower comes from the Cendana tree that has a unique smell. People believe that the smell can hold up to a million years. That is why, these flowers commonly use for perfume, incense, aromatherapy, herbs, and spices.

Besides the great benefits of the flower, the Cendana tree also has so useful for Cendana oil. The cultivation of the Cendana tree is so difficult even for Indonesian. That is why nowadays it is difficult to find the Cendana tree and its flower.

8. Tengkawang

Tengkawang tree originally comes from Kalimantan and you can only find it there. The existence of Tenkawang becomes extinct from time to time. That is why the Indonesian government even issued the law to protect this kind of tree.

Tengkawang tree is perfect for growth in Indonesian landmarks, particularly in Kalimantan. Commonly, it useful for oil known as green butter, cosmetics, soap, wax, herbs, and traditional medicines.  

So, there are 8 the most vulnerable and unique plants that you can only find them in Indonesia. Mostly, they have come to an extinct that is why we need to preserve them instead to exploit them to be some commodities. But, have you ever seen one of them?