Flowers can make any piece of green patch look incredible in any season. Flowers are a rare natural gift with the power to lift our moods and enlighten our spirits with their deep scents. There are more than 270,000 different species of flowers, but unfortunately not every flower can be experienced. Some flowers can only be seen in a certain season, some remain undiscovered and some are extinct. This article looks at some of the rare flowers that are mostly extinct or rarely seen.

Top 10 Rarest Flowers

1

Corpse Flower

Origin: The corpse flower was first discovered in 1878 by an Italian botanist in Sumatra. Various cultivated specimens of the corpse flower can be found in the United States. Although the natural corpse flower is far more distinct than the cultivated specimens, the specimens still draw a large number of botany aficionados and onlookers.

Where to find now: Since its discovery in 1878, many botanists have cultivated specimens of the flower. Today, the cultivated specimens can be found Huntington Botanical Garden, California. The original species is known to exist in rainforest and open grasslands of Sumatra.  

Description: The flower is famously known as the corpse flower due its distinct stinging smell, which some botanists have described as the scent of the dead. The flower can reach up to six feet in the blooming season with the diameter of up to 3 feet. It is the largest flower in the world, and probably the smelliest too. Different from the regular flowers which normally bloom once a year or every several years, corpse flowers need 30 to 40 years. Looking from the outside, the flower is green, but dark red from the inside.

2

Rafflesia Arnoldii

Where to find: Now corpse flower can only be seen in certain Islands of Indonesia and some low-lying rain forests.

Description: This flower has 5 petals with whitish marks around them. It has this very stinky smell which attracts carrion flies to pollinate. The buds of Rafflesia take many months to develop but the flower would only last for a few days. The reason why it is one of the rare flowers is that the pollination requires many coincidence to work together due to its unisexual nature.

3

Cape Sundew

Origin: The cape sundew, scientifically known as Drosera capensis, is one of the rare flowers that was first discovered in South Africa.

Where to find now: Today, there are about 125 species of cape sundew which can be found in South African regions.

Description: The cape sundew is a self pollinated flower that produces a sticky substance to trap the insects. The flower usually has five colored petals that fully bloom in the sunlight. The most interesting feature of this flower is its ability to extract nutrients from the insects that it traps in its tentacles.

4

Parrot’s Beak

Origin: Known by its scientific name Lotus berthelotii, the parrot’s beak flower was discovered in New Zealand.

Where to find now: The plant only exists in the wild regions of Moturemu Island.

Description: The flower is well-known for its parrot’s beak like appearance that most often resembles a lobster claw. The flower can grow up to six inches in length and 3 feet in width. The flower consists of soft petals with orange, yellow and red color that brighten up in full sunlight.

5

Youtan Poluo

Origin: The history states that the Youtan Poluo flower was first discovered in China by a Chinese farmer known by the name Mr. Ding. 

Where to find now: Now this rare flower might be seen China, Korea, Taiwan and US in extremely rare times.

Description: The Youtan Poluo is the rarest flower known to the mankind as, according to various studies, it only blooms once in 3,000 years. The flower has been strongly associated with the Indian and Buddhist culture. Some researchers also suggest that the flower is no bigger than 1mm with sweet-scented minuscule.

6

Jade Vine

Origin: The scientific name given to the exotic Jade Vine is Strongylodon macrobotrys. The flower is also known as turquoise jade vine or emerald vine. This rare botany gem was first discovered in the Philippines. 

Where to find now: Philippines

Description: The flower has rarest structure mostly described as delicate in nature. The flower consists of various claw-like structures that grow up to 3 feet in length. While its color range from blue green to mint green. It is now considered as one of the rare flowers as it is greatly endangered due to the difficulties to propagate as a result of the destruction and decrease of habitat and natural pollinators.

7

Yellow and Purple Lady Slippers

Origin: The Yellow and Purple Lady Slippers, also known as the lady’s slipper orchids, were found in Europe and many Asian countries, but over the time they have declined in number, which is why they are protected in most countries and are extremely expensive even for a single cutting.

Where to find now: The plant can be found in moist soiled of open woodlands in the United Kingdom and some other parts of Europe.

Description: The lady’s slipper orchids surpass any other rare flowers when it comes to distinction as it extremely difficult to propagate. The flower consists of soft, curved structure that is usually yellow and purple in color. Strangely enough, what provides the plant nourishment is a specific type of fungus which lives off the plant till the adult leaves are able to produce nourishment.

8

Attenborough's Pitcher Plant

Origin: A native of the Philippines, the Attenborough's Pitcher Plant is a fascinating flower plant that was found in the rainforests of the Philippines by the botanists Stewart R. McPherson, Alastiar S. Robinson and Volker B. Heinrich.

Where to find now: Today, the plant can be found in the deep rainforests of the Philippines.

Description: Scientifically known as the Nepenthes Attenboroughii, this rare botanic gem is one of the largest species of its genus. The plant has a pitcher like shape that allows it to lure and consume its prey (mostly insects) without any hassle. 

9

Ghost Orchid

Origin: Known by its scientific name Dendrophylax lindenii, the ghost orchid is the one of the most widely known rare flowers. According to various research studies, the flower was first discovered by Jean Jules, a Belgian plant collector in 1844.

Where to find now: The flower can still be found in swampy forests of Florida and Cuba.

Description: The orchid ghost consists of soft white petals that hang loosely away from the stem and bloom fully in late June and August. The flower requires a special kind of fungi to survive. 

10

Black Bat Flower

Origin: Most commonly known as the Tacca chantrieri in the scientific jargon, the black bat flower was first discovered in tropical regions of South East Asia including the countries  Malaysia, Thailand and China.

Where to find now: This rare specimen can be still found in South East Asia countries.

Description: As the name suggests, this distinct specimen has a bat like flower petals that are known for their stark black color. The flower consists of long cat-like whiskers that can grow up to nearly 28 inches in length. These flowers usually require more water and humidity to survive than any other rare flowers mentioned above.

11

Koki'o

Origin: The Koki'o is scientifically known as Kokai cookei. The flower was first discovered in 1860 in the Islands of Hawaii.

Where to find now: Today, the rare and exotic form of Hibiscus can be found in various Hawaii Islands.

Description: A Koki'o tree produces hundreds of blossoming red-petal flowers that are famous for their red, curved velvet petals that can also be observed in Hibiscus plants. One of the rare flowers around the world, the flower was known to be extinct before it was rediscovered in the year 1978. 

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