There is a phrase people like to use which goes: ‘say it with flowers.’
But what if the flowers you are using cost thousands of dollars? What would you be saying then? This is how much I love you? This is how much you mean to me? You are worth everything to me? Or simply you are worth the luxury? Welcome to the fascinating realm of the most expensive flowers in the world!
1 The Semper Augustus Tulip
If you’ve ever seen the movie Tulip Fever or read the book it was based on, for that matter, you might be a little familiar with this topic. To us, tulips might be common garden flowers our grandmas grow in their back garden’s next to their summer houses. But in the 17th century, tulips were worth more than gold.
Yes, you read that well. Tulips were worth more than houses and livestock. And one, in particular, was the king of all flowers. The Semper Augustus tulip. There were two main reasons why this particular tulip was one of the most expensive flowers in the world.
First of all, it was ‘broken.’ This meant the tulip was not a single block of colour. Instead, it was snowy white with streaks of crimson red flowing through its petals. Second of all, it was incredibly rare. Some say that, at a certain point, there were only 12 Semper Augustus in the world.
Talk about luxury! Unfortunately, however, this type of tulip does not exist today anymore. Even so, there are countless paintings of it decorating the world’s museums, that’s how famous it was!
2 The Juliet Rose
Let’s start by saying that this is also called the ‘£3m flower.’ Is that an indication to you that it’s one of the most expensive flowers in the world? It received this moniker because this is the amount of money its developer, a rose breeder by the name of David Austin, spent to create and produce it. He also spent 15 years in the process of creating the flower, which also adds to its incredibly high price.
The Juliet rose is a standard, garden rose variety, with the exception that it has a very soft, pastel, peach color. It also has a very comforting, old-world smell, as well as a rounded bloom. It first debuted during the Chelsea Flower Show in 2006 to wide applause.
Even though you can get the Juliet rose for a cheaper price today than when it was introduced, it’s still one of the most expensive flowers in the world.
3 Saffron Crocus
You’re already familiar with this one. You might have even bought it for yourself or, with a little luck, you even ate it. What are we talking about? The saffron flower. It’s a small, purple bloom, very beautiful to look at. But what people are most interested in is what’s inside.
If you look closely you will notice that the saffron flower typically carries three bright orange little stems. That is what the saffron spice is made of. Once dried and preserved, saffron is used in many cuisines around the world. However, it is considered to be a luxury spice.
The reason? You need an approximate of 80,000 saffron flowers to make just 500 grams of the intoxicating spice. Now it’s starting to make sense why the purple beauties are some of the most expensive flowers in the world!
But what does that mean exactly? Evidently, the prices differ. But an average has the price at £1200 per pound.
4 Garden flowers you didn’t know were expensive
Before we actually tell you what the most expensive flower in the world really is, let’s take a look at a series of common flowers you might not have guessed how expensive they actually are.
- Gardenias
Yes, these traditional flowers you can find in almost any classic English garden are some of the most expensive flowers in the world. By the way – did you know you cannot buy just one stem of gardenias? You must buy an entire plant. This is what makes them so expensive along with their intoxicating scent. The latter is also the reason why they are used so much in the perfume industry! Gardenia’s retail for £37 per flower.
- English rose
Your mother might have it in her garden but one single English scented rose sells for £8. The reason is that they are very fragrant and super delicate. This means they will wilt incredibly fast if you don’t keep them in water. Still, they are some of the most gorgeous varieties of roses you will ever see!
- Peonies
As common as they are, high-quality peonies are also expensive because you can only find them for a very short period, between the months of April and July. One single flower retails between £5 and £8.
5 The Kadupul Flower
Say hello to the most expensive flower on the planet. How expensive? That’s the problem. It’s priceless. In the sense that specialists have not been able to put a price on this flower. The reason is that it is too rare to be harvested, which means no one has ever been able to buy it.
The Kadupul flower is, in reality, a cactus which can be found only in Sri Lanka. It also goes by the name ‘ghost flower,’ seeing as it only goes into bloom a single night per year. Once dawn comes, it’s already wilted.
Just as its name suggests, the Kadupul or ghost flower is completely white and has a beautiful scent. However, seeing as it can only live for a few hours, it’s not possible to own it. Only appreciate it in its natural habitat!
It is true that all flowers are beautiful, no matter what. But sometimes there are moments in life when you feel like only the most expensive flowers in the world can really convey that special message you want to send. What do you think?