Have a moment and think. How many flowers can you name? You probably know the very popular and common ones, but did you know that there are over 400,000 flowering plant species across the world? Out of this number there are species that are considered extremely rare, and sadly some of them are endangered or have gone extinct. There is no scientific or consensus on what we can actually call a rare flower, but rare flowers are usually species that are listed as endangered or almost extinct on IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species.
This blog will give you a glimpse of some of the rare flowers from around the world and some interesting facts about them.
JULIET ROSE
Photo by Nadiatalent via Wikimedia Commons
It took 15 years for David Austin, a rose breeder, to cultivate this flower and spent £3 million for this. So it’s not only considered to be one of the rarest flowers but also the rarest rose.
GLORIOSA SUPERBA (Fire Lily)
Photo by Macvivo at English Wikipedia via Wikimedia Commons
With its bright red and yellow-orange coloured petals, this flower is also known as Fire Lily, Glory Lily, or Tiger Claw. They can grow up to 12 feet tall, are usually found in the wild, and are native to Asia and southern Africa. Gloriosa Superba is the national flower of Zimbabwe.
COSMOS ATROSANGUINEUS (Chocolate Cosmos)
Photo by Hedwig Storch via Wikimedia Commons
This flower belongs to the daisy family and is native to Mexico, where it only grows in a few states. Its name Chocolate Cosmos came from its chocolate-vanilla scent and its petals colour ranges from dark red to brown.
STRONGYLODON MACROBOTRYS (Jade Vine)
Photo by Marianne Cornelissen-Kuyt via Wikimedia Commons
Jade vines are native to rainforests in the Philippines and are also known as Emerald Vines. They can grow up to 60 feet long and they rely on bats to pollinate them. Sadly, this rare flower is close to extinction due to deforestation.
SELENICEREUS GRANDIFLORUS (Night-blooming Cereus)
Photo by Richard C. Hoyer, WINGS via Wikimedia Commons
This rare flower is indigenous to Central and South America along with several Caribbean islands. A member of the cactus family and it blooms at night due its pollinators, the moths and bats. It also has a sweet scent.
