World's most expensive flowers
5. Saffron Crocus - $1,300 - $1,600 per pound
The Saffron Crocus is a deep purple flower with a bright yellow stamen. It is best known for producing saffron spice but is also commonly sold as a flower. Saffron spice is produced from the yellow stamen and requires 80,000 flowers to be dried out for just 500g of saffron spice. The Saffron Crocus is unknown in the wild but has been cultivated for more than 3,500 years spanning different continents. The flower can grow to 5cm high and 10cm wide. While the flower itself is not expensive to purchase, saffron spice is one of the most expensive and sought after spices in the world costing around $1,300 per pound.
4. Gold of Kinabalu Orchid - $5,500 per flower
Orchids are stunningly beautiful blooms, beloved the world over, but there are some orchids that have a hefty price tag. Discovered in 1987, the Gold of Kinabalu Orchid nearly became extinct as a result of orchid smugglers pillaging the flower. Today, it is extremely rare and can only be found in a small part of the Kinabalu National Park in Malaysia. Growing this flower is difficult, it can take up to 15 years to bloom!
3. Shenzhen Nongke Orchid - $290,000 per flower
There are some truly unusual orchids in existence but this one is particularly unique. Developed by Chinese agricultural scientists, this flower is completely man made and is named after the Shenzhen Nongke University where it was created. It took scientists eight years of research to create this delicate and elegant flower which only blooms every 4-5 years! In 2005, the Shenzhen Nongke Orchid became the most expensive flower ever sold when it fetched the equivalent of $290,000 AUD at an auction by an anonymous bidder.
image credit: http://livingfresh.ca/
2. Juliet Rose - £3 million
Roses have always been a favourite flower across many different cultures. From the Osiria Rose to the Black Halefti Rose, their beauty and diversity seems to have no bounds, however it would seem that the Juliet Rose trumps them all. The Juliet Rose was first introduced to the world at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2006 by rose breeder David Austin. The Juliet Rose is a completely unique flower that took 15 years to create and more than £3 million to produce, making this the most expensive rose ever developed. It is often referred to as the “£3 million Rose” as a result of this, but bouquets of the Juliet Rose actually sell for around £90. The flower is a medium sized rosette that has soft peach and apricot petals. When fully open, the blooms reveal neatly arranged petals nestled in the heart of the flower. The elegant Juliet Rose has a beautiful light tea rose fragrance and is a popular choice of wedding flower.
1. Kadupul Flower - Priceless
At the very top of the list is the Kadupul flower. This flower is found in Sri Lanka and is so rare and fragile; it only lasts a few hours. The Kadupul flower blooms once a year and emanates a lovely, calming fragrance. It only blooms at night and withers away before dawn. It is also impossible to pick without damaging it, making this flower literally priceless! It is the flower that simply cannot be bought.