15 rare types of flowers to exude luxury in a home guide, House flora buying tips, Online plants purchase advice

15 Rare Types of Flowers that Exude Luxury in Your Home

6 Sep 2021

There are millions of flowers all over the world that would look great in your home, but if you want to purchase flowers that are more exotic, mysterious, and rare, this list is for you. Rare flowers, from underground flora to quick-blooming plants that take 3,000 years to mature, are amongst the most brilliant specimens you’re unlikely to see in your lifetime unless you’re lucky.

While those flowers are on the endangered species list, the following rare and luxurious blooms can be found from select florists for a hefty fee. If you’re ready to break the bank, keep reading.

What Makes A Flower Rare?

Rarity is often tied to scarcity, and it’s the same for flowers, but that isn’t the whole story. Let’s examine why the luxurious blooms on this list are sought after, expensive and beautiful.

Natural Environment Destruction: Rare flowers often die from deforestation and environmental destruction, but some can be saved by simulating their habitat.
Specialized Environments: Some flowers grow under the strangest circumstances. For example, the Ghost Orchid can only grow underground in tropical climates.
Specialized Blooms: There are some flowers that can only grow if they’re pollinated by certain animals or insects. Others have needs that can’t be manufactured elsewhere.

Rare to Bloom: The Corpse Flower, which smells like rotting flesh, only blooms every 7-10 years. It’s one of the biggest flowers on the planet and rarely reproduces.
Rare Cultivars: A cultivar is a hybrid of an already existing plant. Scientists create cultivars that improve aspects of the flower. Some cultivars are rarer than others.
Slow Reproduction: Flowers that are slow to reproduce or can’t reproduce at all are rare as it is, but that slow breeding aspect makes them rare and sparsely populated.

Like mammals, flowers need to reproduce to carry on their species (or genus for plants), but some blooms can’t do this on their own and require help from humans.

The Top 15 Rare Flowers You Can Keep at Home

Taking care of the following blooms will be challenging for new gardeners. If that’s the cause, try a same-day flower delivery by Bouqs instead to keep a weekly rotation of blooms at home.

1. Bat Flower: An Unusual Orchid

A bat flower mimics what bats look like while in flight. Their deep purple and black petals don’t overpower the hanging white filaments that resemble whiskers. While rare, bat flowers can grow easily in hot, semi-tropical conditions as long as they have a comfy spot in the shade.

2. Snail Vine: Corkscrew Beauty

Although snail vines are easy to grow, they aren’t commonly found in gardens. The sail vine is native to South American and thrives in high humidity and full sun. Its corkscrew appearance will make them attractive filament flowers in arrangements. Snail vines can be 15 feet long.

3. Glorybower: Blueberries on Starfish

The Harlequin Glorybower is native to China and Japan. When you crush the flower, it smells similar to peanut butter. While the bush the glorybower grows on isn’t considered the most attractive, its flower, which resembles blueberries on a starfish, looks incredible and unique.

4. Gold Finger: Droopy, Gold Blooms

A favorite snack to the hummingbird due to its cupped shape, the gold finger flower is a tropical plant that blooms all year in tropical climates. If the flower doesn’t receive enough light, it will drop its leaves and go to sleep. You can grow gold fingers on a small vine or as a shrub.

5. Hoya: Ball-Shaped Clustered Petals

Hoya vines are stunning indoor plants that live in southern India. The climbing vines of the hoya are easy to care for at home, provided you have enough light. There are over 2 thousand plants in the hoya genus, but most of them produce waxy, porcelain white star-shaped flowers.

6. Guinea Hen: Checkered Lanturnes

The interesting-looking guinea hen naturally produces a checkered pattern all over its petals. Although these flowers come from Europe, they haven’t grown in the UK for over 4 centuries. Its drooping blooms make the plant look like lanterns, bells, or shaped paper-crafts.

7. Red Button Ginger: Small Red Flowers

The red button ginger flower looks exactly as the name describes. Its small, button-shaped bloom is nestled into the leaves. Unusual yellow flowers will often emerge from the showy red cones, which are editable. Red button gingers prefer warm climates but can handle light frosts.

8. Lady’s Slippers: Slipper-Like Orchids

The lady slipper orchid looks comfy enough to step in, but their rarity will make you resist the temptation. Although they look more like purple lilies, they’re 100% orchid, need shaped, and humid climates to thrive. You can only purchase them from select flower nurseries.

9. Sensitive Plant: Shy, Timid Plants

The sensitive plant is unique because it responds to being touched. When anything connects with the purple part of the plant, it starts to droop. At one point, scientists thought there were animals, but these tiny sub-tropical plants are acting based on seismonastic movements.

10. Pebble Plant: More Than Just Rocks

Pebble plants are the perfect example of environmental adaptation, as they look like rocks at first glance. However, the pebble plant opens up in half to reveal large white flowers. Its “rock portion” is covered in light grey specs, which plays into the idea that they’re inanimate stones.

11. Flower of an Hour: Act Faster Before it’s Gone

Flower of an hour is a low-maintenance plant that’s perfect for first-time gardeners, but as the name suggests, this flower only blooms once per season for a day. Its blooms are well worth the wait, as the big white, red, purple, and yellow petals are a rare but incredible sight.

12. Eyeball Plant: Also Called the “Toothache Plant”

Although the eyeball and tooth look nothing alike, the eyeball plant manages to look like staring eyes and a tooth with a cavity. The white bulb with a black circle in the center is the eyeball plant’s flower, which is less interesting than the red stems. It would fit right in at Halloween.

13. California Firecracker: A Natural Fireworks Display

It’s easy to see how the California firecracker got its name, as its droopy red flowers look like fireworks tied with a bow. This plant was originally a wildflower from California, but it’s catching on with gardeners from across the US. They prefer hot, dry climates with little rain.

14. Cupcake Blush Cosmos: A Popular Cosmos Cultivar

Cupcake blush cosmos are a rare cultivar of the easy-to-find cosmos. Their beautiful frilly petals resemble a ballerina tutu, and its light pink, purple, and mauve coloring make this flower especially feminine. Cupcake blush cosmos are easy to grow and don’t struggle with disease.

15. Tassel Flower: Pom-Poms on Stems

If you thought carnations resemble pom-poms, wait until you see the tassel flower. These rare, hardy little flowers are capable of standing up to harsh temperatures and heat without issue. Tassel flowers grow easier in tropical climates, but their scarlet blooms can thrive inside.

If you’re interested in adding a bit of luxury to your home or home office, the flowers on this list will fit in perfectly in your space. Hang a bold poetic flower quote to go with the room. While some of these flowers will take some getting used to, others, like Flower of an Hour genus, are durable, easy to grow, and exceptionally rare.

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