Top 10 Most Expensive Flowers
David Mack Quick Links
Flowers are one of the most natural and common beauties of the earth. They’re also one of the most preferred gifts for loved ones. Flowers have been a part of all kinds of occasions - bouquets during Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, decorations during a wedding, or the simple daily hobby of gardening. Flowers fill our lives in the most stunning ways. Even if most flowers are very affordable (maybe a few dollars for a bouquet), some people will go the extremes to lay hands on the rarest, most beautiful flowers the world has seen. If you are wondering what these are, here’s a list of the top ten most expensive flowers in the world.
10. Lisianthus ($10 - $35 per bundle)
The Eustoma grandiflorum, more commonly known as Lisianthus, is a flower that blooms annually and is 5 cm in diameter. The Lisianthus can grow from 15 to 60 cm in height. With wide, ruffled, delicate oval petals, the Lisianthus comes in a variety of colors from pale purple, white, lavender, and even blue violet. The reason it sells for such a price even if it’s long lasting as a plant is because when cut from its stem, it will survive only for two to three weeks before perishing. Since most of these delicate flowers are shipped white and are very fragile, it earns them the name “paper flowers”.
9. Lily of the Valley ($15 - $50 per bundle)
The sweetly scented but also poisonous Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) is popular for its delicate, dainty appearance as well as its bell-shaped blooms. The flower known in old Christianity as Our Lady’s Tears usually blooms in late spring (early March) after mild winters in the Northern Hemisphere. Its stalk grows 15-30 cm tall, surrounded by two long leaves while the flower itself reaches 5 to 10mm in diameter. Its lifespan only takes weeks before perishing, so most harvesters are extra careful as picking it up the wrong way can further shorten its lifespan.
8. Hydrangea($6.5 per stem)
The Hydrangea is known for its unique circular cluster of little flowers per stem. Shrubs essentially grow 1 to 3 meters tall from early spring to late autumn. It comes in mostly white blooms, but some are noted for being blue, pink, light purple or violet. The hydrangeas can easily droop and wilt, and should only be bought on the day of the event itself or the night before. Despite this, it is still commonly used in various occasions, most especially in weddings. It also takes a lot of effort to harvest and cultivate.
7. Gloriosa($6 - $10 per flower)
Native only in South Africa and Asia, the Gloriosa is highly expensive for being rare as well as being unique. With long tendrils that support the bloom’s weight as well as leaves that are as long as 3 meters, the Gloriosa is known for its showy flowers with pronounced, flexed petals and changing color from tip to center. They usually come in deep reds, oranges, yellows, and yellow-green.
6. 17th Century Tulip Bulb(10,000 guilders or $5,700 during the 17th century)
Despite the simplicity and commonality of the tulip, in the 17th century, the price for this bloom bubbled. The single layer flower was enamored by the Dutch for its shape and more importantly, its lush and deep colors. In fact, its color was stronger than that of any flower at that time. It was also very rare. The price reached up to 10,000 guilders for these tulips and since then, the tulips were highly regarded as being a status symbol if they were in your own gardens.
5. Saffron Crocus($1200 - $1500 per pound)
The Saffron flower is more famous for being a spice than a bloom, but is still commonly sold as a flower. The Saffron is purple in color but its rich yellow stamen is what makes it more unique. The price reflects its cost of development as it takes around 80,000 flowers just to develop 500 grams of spice from the yellow stamen, all of which are hand-picked and dried. There is a huge demand for Saffron spice but it takes a lot of time and skill to cultivate it. In addition, it is used for high seasoning and coloring in cuisine.
4. Gold of Kinabalu Orchid($6000 per piece)
The Gold of Kinabalu Orchid sells at an extremely high price due to its rarity and beauty. Boasting its beautiful, long and green petals with red spots, this gem is found only in the Kinabalu National Park in Malaysia. Aside from the fact that it is found only in one place, growing one is extremely difficult and takes a long process. This flower will only grow between the months of April and May and the bloom can take many years before it finally appears. Being rare and therefore expensive, it earned the title “Gold of Kinabalu”.
3. Shenzhen Nongke Orchid (1.68 million Yuan or $200,000 approx.)
The Shenzhen Nongke Orchid is a flower that was completely made by the hands of man and got its name from the group that conducted the experiment. It took the researchers eight years to grow and observe the flower. It sells for a high price not only for its rarity, cultivation, and background, but also for its appearance. It takes four to five years for the orchid to blossom and aside from its beauty, it is also said to have a delicate taste.
2. Juliet Rose (£3 million or $15.8 million approx)
Making its debut in 2006 at the Chelsea Flower Show, the Juliet Rose took the world by storm by its elegance and beauty. It took David Austin 15 long years to create this beautiful flower. The Juliet Rose is also known as the £3 million rose, which is equivalent to approximately $15.8 million.
1. Kadupul Flower(Priceless)
The reason why the Kadupul Flower does not have a price tag is not only because it is rare, but it is a flower that cannot be picked without causing damage to it. In addition, it dies before dawn. The flower is actually a cactus of sort. It only blossoms at night and emanates a calming, lovely fragrance. It will only last for hours after being picked and has never made it to the shops, not even online. It is the flower that cannot be bought.
