The price of roses may be inflated during Valentine’s Day, but would you spend $15.8 million on a rose for your beloved?  

The most expensive flowers in the world were purchased for thousands, and millions, of dollars. Some were curated over many years, and some are harvested for only their stamens. Below, we’ll cover everything from 1500 USD to literally priceless flowers. Which one is your favourite?  

Kadupul Flower””Priceless

This flower is native to Sri Lanka, though most Sri Lankans will not see one in a lifetime! It is a cactus bloom that only opens at night. Around midnight, the long white petals open, releasing a soothing scent. By dawn, the bloom will perish. Despite flower lovers’ best efforts, the flower is literally impossible to harvest, preserve, or offer as a gift”“making it quite literally priceless. It is the most valuable and desirable flower on Earth.

Juliet Rose””$15.8 Million USD

Even Romeo didn’t put in the effort that Davis Austin did when it came to roses! The Juliet Rose took 15 years to develop and was showcased in 2006. Its dense petal structure, large head, and soft apricot colour are the trademarks of this bloom. The first bloom sold for $15.8 million at the release. Now, you can purchase one for a meager $5 million.  

Shenzhen Nongke Orchid””$200,000 USD

This orchid is named after the Shenzhen Nongke Group; they cultivated this orchid in agricultural sciences over an eight-year period. The beautiful green flower with a red and yellow centre takes 5 years to bloom! It was once purchased anonymously at auction for nearly $200,000.

Gold of Kinabalu Orchid””$6000 USD per piece

The pride of Malaysia’s Kinabalu National Park is a rare and beautiful orchid with green petals, red dots, and long, wing-like horizontal petals extending out on each side. It only blooms between April and May each year. This orchid was discovered in 1987 and was nearly extinguished by smugglers. Thankfully, they are preserved in the national park today!  

Tulips””$5700 USD

Though not expensive now, tulips in 17th century Holland were a hot commodity! Wealthy Dutch flower lovers used them as a status symbol. Certain species were so valuable, particularly the garnet stripes on the white petals variety, that they sold for $5700! At the time, that would have fed and clothed a whole family for half a lifetime. An economic bubble even occurred from “tulipmania”, and though the bubble has popped, Holland remains a hub for tulip production!

Saffron Crocus””$1500 USD per pound  

A bouquet of saffron crocus’ wouldn’t cost more than a dozen roses, but the value is in the stamens! The most expensive spice in the world comes from the stamens of this flower, which requires 70,000 flowers for one pound of saffron!  

While many of these blooming beauties are out of our budget range, it is enthralling to learn the history of how the world’s most expensive flowers came to be. However expensive your taste may be, the Salisbury Floral Studio at Enjoy can help you curate the perfect dried flower bouquet or fresh floral arrangement for any occasion, and any budget!