What the World's Rarest and Most Expensive Flower Looks Like (6 Photos)

The botanical world has its own prized rarities that collectors and gardeners dream of owning. Surprisingly, the rarest and most coveted flowering plant on Earth is not an elusive wild orchid hidden deep in the Amazon rainforest, but a garden camellia—though far from an ordinary one.





Middlemist's Red camellia, sometimes poetically referred to as the spring rose, was first documented by Englishman John Middlemist, who discovered it in China in 1804. Despite its name, the flower blooms in a deep, vibrant pink rather than true red. In the early 19th century, this rare and costly plant was an exclusive luxury found only in the private gardens of the wealthiest aristocrats.



Middlemist somehow managed to procure a few cuttings of the plant and brought them back to London. He generously donated the rare specimens to Kew's Royal Botanic Gardens, where botanists set about propagating the exotic bloom. Over time, however, almost all of the Middlemist's Red camellias mysteriously vanished, leaving just a single surviving specimen.





By 1823, Chiswick House & Gardens was the only place left in Britain where Middlemist's Red was known to grow. Even more astonishing than its disappearance in England was that it vanished from its native homeland in China as well. According to official records, only two Middlemist's Red camellias exist in the world today—one in England and one in New Zealand.



How this botanical treasure found its way to a remote island nation remains an unsolved mystery. Historical records show that the camellia was planted at the Treaty House in Waitangi, New Zealand, in 1833. Today, alongside Chiswick House & Gardens, it remains one of only two places on Earth where visitors can admire the blossoms of the Middlemist's Red.



However, many botany experts believe that the UK custodians secretly sell cuttings for staggering sums while publicly maintaining the flower's absolute rarity to preserve its legendary status. Rumors even point to specific buyers: one cutting was reportedly acquired by an anonymous owner of a luxury apartment in the Sky Gardens by Rafal skyscraper in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.



The Conservatory at Chiswick House & Gardens

Geraldine King, a curator and gardener at Chiswick House & Gardens, once mentioned to reporters that the trade in red camellias was surprisingly brisk in the 19th century. About 180 years ago, for instance, one of the estate's owners, the Duke of Devonshire, sold numerous cuttings at quite reasonable prices. Could that have been how one of the Middlemist's Red camellias made its way to New Zealand?

Flowers aren't the only plants with rare varieties—cucumbers can be surprisingly unique too. Take a look at these 10 varieties you'll almost certainly never find in your local supermarket.