It’s rare

Flowers Are Delightful, But Some Are Rather Precious

Induja Tyagi, GT Network

Flowers are not just restricted to the pink of the roses or the yellow of the sunflower. There is so much more to these floral beauties that we haven’t seen yet or simply may not have been able to see because of their rare occurrences. Read on as we bring you the rarest of flowers, only to be awestruck by the magnificence of nature.

Dendrophylax lindeniil

Also known as: Ghost Orchid 
Native to: Cuba & Florida
Why so special? Extremely fussy about its growing conditions, this one blossoms only when the growing conditions are perfect. It thrives only on very specific host trees. Add to this an unpredictable and extremely short blooming period of one-two weeks. This perhaps explains why not many people have never seen this flower.  There are very few blooms of Ghost Orchid, all of which are protected.
PS Plucking this one can cost you a jail sentence.

Strongylodon macrobotrys

Also known as: Jade Vine
Native to: Philippines 
Why so special? This rare species is mostly found in the rainforest of Philippines. What makes it peculiar is its claw shaped flowers which are bluish green in colour. The stem of the plant is capable enough to grow up to 60 feet in height. The flowers are pollinated by bats that hang from its trees. It is also believed that these flowers illuminate the dark forest during night time.

Camellia japonica

Also known as: Middlemist Red
Native to: China
Why so special? The Middlemist Red is believed to be one of the most rare flowers in the world. There are just two remaining survivors of the species that are known to exist today. One of them is at a conservatory located at Chiswick, London and the other one in the city of Waitangi, located in New Zealand.

Epiphyllum oxypetalum

Also known as: Kadupul Flower 
Native to: Sri Lanka
Why so special? The Kadupul flower is probably the costliest flower in the world because it blooms only during the midnight hours and withers away as soon as it is picked, which means that they can’t really be sold. The flowers are famous for the aroma they give out. The plant is highly revered in its native country.

Cypripedium reginae

Also known as:  Lady’s Slippers
Native to: North America
Why so special? While it is easy to find this flower in its single coloured version, the dual coloured variant is a rare occurrence. The only area where the flowers are found in a mixture of both the colours, is a certain gold course in North America. In fact, so rare are these flowers that their exact location has been kept secret in order to protect them. It is also the state flower of Minnesota, United States

Lotus berthelotii

Also known as: Parrot’s Beak
Native to: Spain
Why so special? Its scientific nomenclature might deceive you into thinking that this plant belongs to the lotus family. However, that’s not true. These flowers resemble the beak of a parrot. Sadly, this species is close to extinction because its pollinator, Sunbird of the ‘Nectariniidae’ family, has long vanished from nature.