JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<div class="flex">
    <div class="flex-item">
        <div class="element">
            The orange element should be as tall as the blue element
        </div>
    </div>
    <div class="next-flex-item">
      The next flex item.
      <br>
      Another line.
    </div>
</div>

CSS

.flex {
    height: 45px;
    display: flex;
    flex-flow: column;
    background: green;
}
.flex-item {
    background-color: steelblue;
    flex: 1 1 auto; /* or 1 0 auto */
    height: 0;
}
.element {
    height: 100%;
    background-color: orange;
}

.next-flex-item {
  background: red;
}