Updated On: November 03, 2023 by 
Salma Ihab
Expensive Flowers may be used to signify a multitude of things at any event, from happy ones like weddings to sad ones like funerals. There are numerous reasons why having flowers around is quite beneficial. As a result, flowers are always an essential part of any celebration or important event in our lives, making every occasion all the more exciting and memorable.
Beauty cannot be priced, yet with flowers; you might easily fall into the trap of expensive blooms. Flowers are, without a doubt, one of nature’s most beautiful presents. They simply bring life to every environment in which they dwell. While most flowers are inexpensive and generally available, some rare and luxury flowers may cost a fortune, yet their beauty is priceless and well worth the money.
If you’re wondering what some of the most expensive flowers that nature has to offer, we’re here to inform you about all of the luxury flowers that you must see or at least experience once in a lifetime. Just sit back and relax because we’re going on a floral adventure with all the details you’re looking for.
8 Most Expensive & Luxury Flowers
Saffron Crocus
Price Range: $1,200-$1,500 per pound
You’ve probably heard the word “Saffron” a few times in several recipes, and it’s not cheap for a reason. Yes, saffron is a spice popular in Southwest Asia that is harvested from the flower’s stigma of the saffron crocus flower.
Saffron Crocus is an expensive flower that comes in an eye-catching light purple with vibrant yellow stamen. It is widely grown in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Saffron Crocus is considered one of the most expensive flowers since it is hand-picked, dried, and marketed as saffron, and as we all know, saffron is one of the most expensive spices. Another reason it’s a costly flower is it takes 80,000 blooms to produce 500 grammes of spice. That explains a lot about why it’s so pricey, but it’s well worth it.
Gold of Kinabalu Orchid
Price Range: $6000 per piece
The Gold of Kinabalu Orchid is a wonderfully gorgeous and expensive flower. If you haven’t heard of it, let us tell you a little bit about it and why it is so expensive. It has gorgeous green petals with red spots on it. The extremely intriguing tale behind its name is that it received its name from the location where it was first discovered, in the mountain range of Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia, a Southeast Asian country.
The rare orchid takes years to blossom and is now only found in Malaysia’s Kinabalu National Park. If you’re lucky, you might get to see the fascinating-looking Gold of Kinabalu Orchid blooming only once a year, between April and May.
Shenzhen Nongke Orchid
Price Range: $202,000 Per plant
Mother Nature is constantly presenting us with gorgeous blossoms, but the next expensive flower we will talk about is actually man-made. Chinese Agricultural Scientists were the first to develop and create the Shenzhen Nongko Orchid.
This man-made orchid has a bright, vibrant pink colour that fades to white near the outer edges of the petals and takes eight years to grow, making it one of the world’s most distinctive orchids. The Shenzhen Nongke Orchid was named after the scientists that created it at Shenzhen Nongke University.
So, what’s the big deal about it if it’s a man-made orchid? Because it only blooms every 4 to 5 years, the uniqueness of this flower makes it pricey. Let’s go back to 2005 when an unexpected event happened: the flower was auctioned off to an anonymous buyer for a jaw-dropping 1.68 million Yuan, or £160,000. This one-of-a-kind Frankenstein blossom is still the most costly flower ever purchased.
Kadupul Flower
Price Range: Priceless
The ghost orchid is another name for one of the most expensive flowers in the world, owing to its short existence. The white-yellow Kadupul Flower is native to Sri Lanka and can grow to be 10 to 30 cm in diameter. This flower is known as a night owl because it only blooms at night and withers by dawn.
The flower has a wonderful, calming aroma. The Kadupul withers and dies the instant it is removed from the dirt. Let us explain further. Because Kadupul only survives for a few hours after being harvested, it is not viable to sell this unusual and unique flower. Even in its native Sri Lanka, locals rarely glimpse its delicate beauty. No one has yet been able to pluck the flower from its stalk to make a gift of it, despite it blooming shortly before midnight and dying before dawn. Because of its extremely limited life cycle, this flower has nearly mythical significance and is considered by many as the most desired and valuable flower on the planet.
You can probably imagine why the Kadupul flower is so valuable around the world; it is utterly priceless. This flower could never be purchased with money. It is so uncommon and fragile that it only survives for a few hours before dying, which is why it is so pricey. Collectors and floral enthusiasts prize the Kadupul flower for its uniqueness, beauty, and short lifespan.
Lisianthus
Price Range: $10-$35 per stem
The lisianthus is a beautiful flower that is also known as the “paper flower” or “Prairie Gentian.” It is a lovely and delicate North American flower. The Lisianthus blooms once a year and can grow to be five cm in diameter. It has delicate, ruffled, broad petals and is available in several shades, including blue violet, lavender, white, and pastel purple.
So, what’s the big deal about this expensive flower? The flower is expensive since it only lasts a few weeks after being removed from the stalk, making it a beautiful flower with a limited expiry date.
Lily of the Valley
Price Range: $15-$50 per stem
The Lily of the Valley is the most beautiful yet most expensive flower. You can get to witness the beauty in April. The entire Yumthang Valley of Sikkim is covered in the Lily of the Valley. The expensive flower is native to Europe and Asia. The delicate flower normally blooms in the late spring. However, the blossoms are only present for a brief time.
The most famous bridal flower has a lovely smell that deceives everyone since it is toxic; they are poisoned to defend themselves from predators. Harvesters must pick these blooms with extreme care in order to extend their lifespan. Lily of the Valley is also a favourite of royalty and the world’s wealthiest people for bridal bouquets.
Juliet Rose
Price Range: $5 Million Per Plant
The most popular English Rose, as well as the most expensive flower. The Juliet Rose is a lovely and unusual flower made by David Austin, a well-known British rose grower. He spent 15 years and more than $5 million developing this flower, which has a distinct peach colour, a powerful smell, and a lengthy vase life. Juliet Rose made its first public appearance at the 2006 Chelsea Flower Show, where it earned 25 gold metals, and it quickly captured the attention of many flower enthusiasts.
Gloriosa
Gloriosa is one of the world’s rarest and most expensive flowers. It flourishes in hot climates such as those found in tropical Africa and Asia. Other names for it that you may have heard are flame lily, fire lily, and glory lily. It’s not a genuine lily; it’s a member of the autumn-crocus family, and it’s not cheap like the lilies you’ll buy at the supermarket.
The flower’s prominent petals make it unique, and the colour gradient from the top to the centre lends a pleasing appeal to the entire plant, such as orange-green, yellow-orange, and vibrant red, from its tip to the centre, which draws instant attention. As we all know, it is one of the most expensive flowers because it is difficult to find and harvest. It’s also extremely poisonous, so don’t consume it.
8 of the Most Often Asked Expensive Flower Questions
You shall ask, and we shall answer. We picked eight of the most often asked questions regarding flowers and attempted to address them all.
Why are some flowers so expensive?
Flowers, like any other crop, do not magically appear on the market. The amount of labour that goes into creating the most expensive flower in a bouquet determines its price. Some flowers require a significant amount of time and work to harvest.
Factors such as the breeder’s years of effort in producing a marketable bloom, the months of labour involved in growing and caring for the plant, and the length of time required to harvest it all play a part. Orchids, for example, can take seven years or more to mature into an economically harvestable plant. In other words, beauty does not happen overnight; it takes time, and you must pay for it.
How can one make the most of their flower budget?
If you want to make the most of your floral budget, here are a few tips to help you create a beautiful bouquet of flowers while staying within your budget.
- Simply ask your designer about sourcing from local farms because it will save you a lot of money.
- Keep an open mind when it comes to what goes into a bouquet or arrangement. Assume you want to go to a florist to purchase a bouquet, and instead of going for pricey flowers, you might go for budget-friendly ones that would give you the same impact but at a cheaper cost. Garden roses and lisianthus, for example, can be substituted for a similar design aesthetic if you want that soft tissue-y effect and like peonies and ranunculus.
- When possible, choose flowers that are in season; the florist may advise you on what is available in your area.
What is it about flowers that makes them special?
Flowers are a gift from nature. They have an amazing impact on individuals; just strolling past a flower shop or receiving a great flower bouquet can change your mood. They come in a variety of shapes, colours, scents, uses, and even meanings. We must not overlook their multiple functions, which range from decoration to food in some cases. So now you know why flowers, regardless of price, are so special.
Which flower has the longest lifespan?
Of course, when we buy or receive a flower bouquet, we want it to endure as long as possible, but the sad truth is that some flowers do not. However, some flowers have a longer lifespan than others, so let’s find out what they are for the next time you shop for flowers.
- Zinnias
- Lilies
- Chrysanthemums
- Alstroemeria
- Hydrangeas
Why are flowers so appealing to us?
Flowers are a symbol of beauty, colour, shape, and scent, and they make us happy by activating happy brain chemicals. Dopamine is released by our bodies when we are happy. When we are rewarded, our bodies release the same chemical, and receiving a flower bouquet has the same effect as a reward. This explains why flowers make us happy or smile when we go for a walk in the garden and see flowers blooming or even when we walk in front of a flower shop.
What gives flowers their scent?
Plants use floral aromas to attract pollinators or repel unsafe insects. Floral scents begin with oils released by most plant petals. These oils are referred to as volatile compounds by scientists because they evaporate quickly in heated temperatures. The perfume of a flower can range from seven to ten different oils, as in snapdragon or petunia, to as many as 100 different compounds, as in orchids. The most common oil scent given off by flowers is methyl benzoate.
Each flower variety has a distinct perfume that attracts pollinators and leads them from one flower to the next, increasing the possibility of pollen fertilisation. When a flower is pollinated, the hormone ethylene is produced within the bloom, which inhibits the production of the chemical responsible for the scent, methyl benzoate. This draws pollinators to new unfertilised blossoms, allowing the process to continue.
How long can flowers survive without water?
Flowers typically fade after 1 hour and last 2-5 days without water. The type of flower, the size of the arrangement, the temperature (flowers last longer in cooler temperatures), and the number of blooms watered and allowed to dry all contribute to the longevity of a flower.
Try this handy tip the next time you go shopping for a flower bouquet. Wrapping the stems in a moist cloth or paper towel and placing the wet portion in a plastic bag will help your flowers stay longer.
What makes flowers last longer in a vase?
We’ve all received a flower bouquet that we wish we could keep forever, so let us share a few tips on how to make your flowers survive longer in the vase for the next time you receive a gorgeous flower bouquet.
- Vodka
This may appear strange, but trust the process. In floral care, a little vodka goes a long way. This bar staple inhibits bacterial development, which is beneficial for extending the life of cut flowers. Here’s how to make it: Add one teaspoon of vodka to a quart of lukewarm water. After you’ve prepared your flowers according to the basic instructions, place them in a vase filled with vodka-laced water. (For the record, most flowers prefer room temperature or lukewarm water.)
- Flower Food
Flower food is a really simple answer. It is essential to apply flower food to prolong the life of the blooms. Fill the vase three-quarters full with flower food dissolved in lukewarm water.
What is it about flower food that makes it so effective? It provides a perfect combination of goodness by combining three substances that help cut flowers:
- Sugar feeds them.
- Citric acid adjusts the pH level for better drinking.
- Bleach cleans the water.
- Bleach
Bleach is a common home product, but did you know it’s also the best water warrior for fresh flowers? Yes, it is! Debris accumulates in the water over time, and germs destroy the cut end of the stems. This effectively seals the figurative drinking straw and deflates flowers. Bleach kills microorganisms and, as a result, keeps the flowers moist. It also eliminates the odour associated with plant decay.
Just don’t go overboard. A few drops of bleach in room-temperature water will lengthen the bloom life in an average-sized vase.
- Tools
If you want to learn how to make flowers last longer, you’ll need the correct tool. A sharp knife or floral shears would be ideal. This is because dull scissors or clippers can break stems, making it difficult for your flowers to drink.
Look for flower snips for hollow stems like daffodils. Woody stems, such as hydrangeas and lilacs, are best chopped with a floral shear with a bypass blade.
By Now, You Are a Flower Expert
You can safely call yourself a flower expert because you know everything there is to know about expensive flowers, as well as tips and tricks on how to care of your next flower bouquet. We even addressed the most frequently asked question concerning flowers. The following question is for you to answer: if you were to choose an expensive flower to keep forever, which one would you choose and why?
