How to fix flex column height bug in IE

Question

In IE I am having a problem where my flex column is stretched for unknown reasons. I need the image height and width of each flex item to always be the same and also be responsive so I need them at 100%. I also need the flex footer to always be at the same level as the others, stuck to the bottom of the container regardless of whether the flex-name spans more than 1 line.

.flex-container {
  display: flex;
  border: 1px solid red;
}

.flex-item-wrapper {
  display: flex;
  border: 1px solid green;
  flex-direction: column;
  width: 185px;
}

.link-spanner {
  position: absolute;
  height: 100%;
  width: 100%;
  top: 0;
  left: 0;
}

.flex-header {
  width: 100%;
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  align-items: center;
  margin-bottom: auto;
}

.image-container {
  margin-top: 5px;
  position: relative;
  width: 100%;
}

img {
  height: 100%;
  width: 100%;
}

.flex-item-name {
  max-width: 100%;
  text-align: center;
}

<div class="wrapper">
  <div class="flex-container">
    <div class="flex-item-wrapper">
      <a href='#' class="link-spanner"></a>
      <div class="flex-header">
        <div class="image-container">
          <img class="picture" src="http://www.picgifs.com/clip-art/cartoons/super-mario/clip-art-super-mario-832109.jpg" alt="">
        </div>
      </div>
      <div class="flex-name">Bingobongo Bongobingobongo</div>
      <div class="flex-footer">
        <button>submit</button>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="flex-item-wrapper">
      <a href='#' class="link-spanner"></a>
      <div class="flex-header">
        <div class="image-container">
          <img class="picture" src="http://www.picgifs.com/clip-art/cartoons/super-mario/clip-art-super-mario-832109.jpg" alt="">
        </div>
      </div>
      <div class="flex-name">Bingobongo Bongo</div>
      <div class="flex-footer">
        <button>submit</button>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="flex-item-wrapper">
      <a href='#' class="link-spanner"></a>
      <div class="flex-header">
        <div class="image-container">
          <img class="picture" src="http://www.picgifs.com/clip-art/cartoons/super-mario/clip-art-super-mario-832109.jpg" alt="">
        </div>
      </div>
      <div class="flex-name">Bingobongo Bongobingobongo</div>
      <div class="flex-footer">
        <button>submit</button>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

jsfiddle

Answer 1

On the parent element try to add:

display: flex;
align-items: stretch;
flex-direction: column;
min-height: 1px;
-ms-flex-negative: 0;

This works for me.

Answer 2

In addition to this post/answer, if you add min-height: 1px; to both the .flex-header and the .image-container it will work in IE11 in your case as well ..

.. and I don't know why either, though according to this Microsoft bug report github post, it force IE to recalculate the sizes based on the image.

Updated fiddle

.flex-header {
  width: 100%;
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  align-items: center;
  margin-bottom: auto;
  min-height: 1px;
}

.image-container {
  margin-top: 5px;
  position: relative;
  width: 100%;
  min-height: 1px;
}

Actually, it also works if you add -ms-flex-negative: 0; to both the .flex-header and the .image-container