Flowers are beautiful, whether growing in gardens, sitting in a vase on your countertop, captured in photos or for sale at a flower shop in San Francisco, CA. Flowers like roses, daffodils, daisies and carnations are nature’s artwork that comes back every season to grace us with their beauty, lovely colors and scents. But did you know there are quite a few rare flowers on Earth that most of us have never seen? What’s more is that some flowers are so rare that they only grow in specific parts of the world, bloom only during certain seasons or go years in between blooms.
Why are certain plants and flowers so rare?
First and foremost, it is necessary to note that not all rare flowers are in danger of extinction. The simple explanation is that some plants and flowers are naturally rare, or the term “rare” could simply refer to its availability for purchase only in certain parts of the world. In the case where a rare flower growing out in nature is able to reproduce and spread on its own, no steps need to be taken to ensure its survival as a species. However, intervention is crucial should a rare flower out in nature or in a controlled environment suddenly dwindle in numbers.
Here’s a closer look at four of the rarest flowers on the planet:
- Kadupul flower: The first thing that makes this flower so rare is that it’s found primarily in Sri Lanka. It demands specific growing conditions, is beautiful and has a pleasant smell. A fun fact is that it blooms only at midnight and is gone before sunrise—talk about a short lifespan!
- Ghost orchid: Needing high humility and temperature, this spider web-like flower grows in Florida and Cuba and is extremely hard to grow anywhere other than in its natural environment. It has no leaves, a greenish stem and flower and only blooms for three weeks between April and August.
- Youtan Poluo: The existence of this flower was originally thought to be a Chinese myth, until a Chinese farmer actually found some. The story goes that this tiny flower blooms only once every 3,000 years to indicate the reincarnation of the Buddha. This flower is native to China, Taiwan and Korea, but also very rarely can be found in the United States.
- Corpse flower: Taking the awards for the largest and smelliest flower in the world is the corpse flower. This flower is solely found in the low-lying rainforests of Indonesia and, unfortunately, smells of rotten meat during blooming time, which happens once every 30 to 40 years.
While you may not be able to get your hands on one of these rare flowers—or even want to, in some cases—you can still marvel at their loveliness in colorful photographs. Luckily, there are many other types of beautiful flowers you can pick up at your local flower shop in San Francisco, CA. The Delicate Daisy – House of Flowers carries an array of fresh and in-season flowers for all sorts of events, and we cater both to individual customers and commercial clients. Call us for your next flower arrangement, bouquet or gift basket!