5 Most Expensive Flowers In The World

Flowers are an inseparable part of our culture and tradition, as they are widely used during weddings, birthdays, anniversary celebrations, funerals, and various other occasions. Commonly used flowers are easily available in our homes, local garden and we can also buy them from the florist.

As such, we usually don’t care much about the price of flowers. However, did you know that there are flowers that can cost several thousand bucks? Well, if not, then here’s a quick overview of the five most expensive flowers in the world.

Gloriosa – Also known by various other names such as glory lily, fire lily, creeping lily, etc., Gloriosa is naturally found in tropical and southern Africa to Asia. These are also widely cultivated, as they fetch USD 6 – 10 per stem. However, be careful not to ingest any part of the plant or flower, as Gloriosa contains colchicine, a toxin. Gloriosa also happens to be the national flower of Zimbabwe.

Saffron Crocus – This is the flower from which you get saffron, one of the costliest spices in the world. Commercial cultivation of this flower is said to have begun more than 3,500 years ago. This flower is not found in the wild because the plant is a triploid. It is male sterile and self-incompatible, which is why it cannot self-reproduce. The flower is very costly, as each one has only three strands of saffron. Saffron Crocus flower costs around USD 1,200 to USD 1,500 per pound.

Rothschild’s Orchid – Distinguishable with its unique horizontally placed petals, Rothschild’s Orchid aka the Gold of Kinabalu orchid is counted amongst the rarest flowers in the world. It is naturally found in northern Borneo in rainforests surrounding Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia. It grows at elevations of 500 to 1200 meters above sea level. A Rothschild’s Orchid plant will cost you around USD 5,000.

Shenzhen Nongke Orchid – This too is rare, but in a different sort of way. That’s because this orchid was created entirely in a lab. It was created by agricultural scientists working at Shenzhen Nongke University, from where it got its name. It took scientists more than 8 years to create this orchid that blooms only once in five years. At an auction, the orchid was sold for a staggering USD 202,000.

Juliet Rose – Several new rose variants have been created over the years and one of them is Juliet rose. It took rose breeder David Austin more than 10 years to create this apricot-hued hybrid rose. Although you can buy these easily from your florist, the cost of developing this special variety of rose was USD 5 million.