Top 16 Rarest Flowers in the World

Chocolate Marigold is named for its distinct scent, which resembles that of chocolate. This flower is native to Mexico and has deep red or dark brown petals, blooming late in the summer.

Currently, only one clonal line of the Chocolate Marigold remains, and propagation must be done through laboratory or tissue culture methods. The regions where these flowers grow in Mexico are legally protected.

Chocolate Marigold is one of the rarest and most beautiful flowers originating from Mexico. The name ‘Chocolate’ comes from the flower’s sweet, candy-like fragrance when it blooms. The flowers are deep red or brown in color and only bloom on late summer evenings. Unfortunately, only a single clone of this flower remains today, created through plant regeneration over 100 years ago.

Similar to the Lotus Berthelotii, the Chocolate Marigold is believed to have been extinct in the wild for over a century. It requires human care to survive. During summer, the petals emit a rich, chocolate-like fragrance.

This flower is primarily found in the Canary Islands (Spain). Since 1884, the Parrot Flower has been classified as an extremely rare species. Today, it is nearly extinct in its natural habitat.

Parrot Flower is considered one of the most beautiful flowers in the world, with a unique shape resembling a parrot’s beak and vibrant orange color. It is endemic to the Canary Islands. The Parrot Flower only blooms during the cool spring weather, and any fluctuation in temperature makes it impossible for the flower to survive.

Unfortunately, the Parrot Flower is on the brink of extinction, with only a few remaining plants in the world. The surviving plants on the Canary Islands are protected by law. The flower has a trailing stem, resembling an animal’s tail, with leaves that are divided into 3–5 segments, each 1-2 cm long and 1 mm wide, glistening like silver. The flowers themselves are red to orange, shaped like a parrot’s beak, measuring 2-4 cm in length and 5-8 mm in width.

Currently, Parrot Flowers are mainly propagated in laboratories and commercially grown as ornamental plants, often cultivated in pots due to their striking color and shape.

Udumbara Flower, also known as Youtan Poluo, was discovered by Ding, a Chinese farmer, who found it inside his steel pipe.

The flower is white, with a bell-like fragrance, and is tiny—measuring just about 1mm in size. It has a delicate, translucent, thread-like stem resembling crystal, and it is mentioned in Indian mythology. Despite its fragile appearance, this flower has an exceptionally long lifespan, lasting anywhere from several months to a year without wilting.

Since 2012, the legendary Udumbara Flower has been blooming continuously across Vietnam in cities like Hanoi, Hai Phong, Saigon, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Hue, Nghe An, Dak Lak, Phu Yen, Thai Nguyen, Nam Dinh, and more. Botanists believe this flower blooms once every 3000 years.

The mystery surrounding its growth and its association with Buddhism has made it one of the most famous flowers in the world. Also known as the Udumbara Flower, it is said to bloom only once every 3000 years. Legends state that each bloom marks the rebirth of the Buddha, which is why it only blooms once every 3000 years.

Despite its name, the Udumbara Flower doesn’t quite resemble a typical flower. It is so tiny that it is easy to miss, emitting a sandalwood-like fragrance. Ding, a Chinese farmer, was one of the first to discover this extraordinary flower. If you’re lucky, you may spot this flower in China, Korea, Taiwan, or the United States. Many researchers are working tirelessly to uncover the mysteries surrounding this rare flower.

Yellow and Purple Lady Slipper Orchid is an extremely rare species of orchid found in London and other regions of Europe. Most Lady Slipper orchids are either entirely yellow or purple, making the combination of yellow and purple in this particular orchid incredibly rare.

Many scientists have attempted to propagate this flower but have failed. As a result, this orchid is one of the most expensive flowers in the world and is legally protected in the UK.

The Yellow and Purple Lady Slipper Orchid is a unique member of the orchid family, primarily found in London and other parts of Europe. It is exceptionally rare to find a Lady Slipper orchid with a combination of yellow and purple hues. The yellow color dominates the flower, covering about three-quarters of it, while the remaining part is purple.

Due to its rarity and stunning beauty, this orchid commands a very high price on the market. Consequently, it is also protected by London law.

Corpse Flower is the largest and most foul-smelling flower in the world, emitting the odor of decaying flesh. It can only be found on a few islands in Indonesia, within lowland tropical rainforests.

The Corpse Flower blooms once every 30 to 40 years. Its leaves can grow up to 6 meters tall. The flowers are green on the outside and deep red on the inside. Due to its rarity, this plant is protected by law in botanical gardens, particularly in Sumatra, Indonesia.

Corpse Flower, also known as Titan Arum, is a truly unique flower. It is the largest and smelliest flower on the planet, native to the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia.

This flower blooms only once every 30-40 years, with a striking green exterior and a rich red interior. It lacks a traditional stem, leaves, and roots. The flower emits an overpowering scent of rotting meat to attract flies and beetles for pollination. The bloom lasts for about a week before it fades.

Snowdonia Hawkweed is a small, yellow flower first discovered on a mountainside in Wales. However, despite numerous searches, this flower was not seen again after 1953 and was declared extinct shortly thereafter.

In 2002, a single Snowdonia Hawkweed plant was rediscovered in a remote hillside within the Cwm Idwal National Nature Reserve. Sadly, this remains the only known Snowdonia Hawkweed plant to have been found.

Snowdonia Hawkweed is considered one of the rarest flowers in the world. Before its rediscovery, it was last seen in 1953, after which scientists believed it had been driven to extinction by sheep grazing on its habitat.

Franklinia alatamaha, also known as the fragrant Franklin tree, is a white, cup-shaped flower first discovered by botanists John and William Bartram from Philadelphia. However, it was considered extinct since the 1800s. Recently, scientists have rediscovered a few specimens, and currently, only three of these trees are known to bloom.

This flower has pure white petals and emits a captivating fragrance when it blooms. Once thought to be extinct, it was rediscovered about three years ago and is now being protected.

Franklinia alatamaha was originally found along the Altamaha River in Georgia, USA, but it has been extinct in the wild since the 1800s. Today, the flower can only be found in a few locations, one of which is the Trewithen Estate in Cornwall, England. Currently, three trees are blooming, and ten more are expected to bloom next year.

The Koki'o flower is an extremely rare species found only in Hawaii. It was first discovered in 1860, but efforts to preserve it proved incredibly difficult.

By 1950, scientists believed that this flower had gone extinct. Fortunately, a branch of the Koki'o plant was saved, and today we can once again admire its beauty. When first discovered in 1860, only three plants were known to exist. By 1950, the last of these plants had died, and the species was officially declared extinct.

However, two decades later, in 1970, another specimen was found, though it tragically perished in a fire in 1978. Thankfully, biologists managed to rescue a branch, which was successfully propagated into 23 trees. These trees now grow to a height of 10-11 meters and produce hundreds of flowers.

The Blue Tiger Claw is a rare flower species from the pea family, found only in the rainforests of the Philippines. The flowers, shaped like claws, can grow up to 3 meters tall. Their stunning colors range from bright blue to vivid green, making them an extraordinary sight.

Occasionally, these flowers are pollinated by bats, creating a mesmerizing sight as they glow at night. Their unique ability to self-pollinate and adapt to fluctuating environmental conditions has earned them the reputation of being an exceptionally rare species.

Known scientifically as Strongylodon macrobotrys, the Blue Tiger Claw is part of the legume family. In Vietnam, it is commonly referred to as the Tiger Claw Flower or the Marble Vine. The blossoms, which change colors throughout the day—starting as blue, transitioning to light blue by midday, and turning green by afternoon—grow in clusters and can reach lengths of up to 3 meters. In the early 20th century, during the construction of Da Lat city, the French introduced the Blue Tiger Claw to the region, where it was cultivated and has since flourished.

The Middlemist Red Camellia is considered one of the rarest flowers in the world, with only two remaining specimens. This exquisite flower can only be found in a botanical garden in New Zealand and a greenhouse in the United Kingdom.

In 1804, a young man named John Middlemist brought this remarkable plant from China to the UK. However, the flower soon vanished from its native land and was cultivated in gardens in London.

Resembling a deep pink rose, the Middlemist Red Camellia took botanists considerable time to identify among other related varieties of camellias.

Now, this rare flower is only found in two places: the New Zealand botanical garden and a greenhouse in the UK. It is regarded as one of the rarest flowers in existence.

The Rafflesia arnoldii, also known as the corpse flower, holds the title of the largest flower in the world. It thrives in the tropical rainforests of Indonesia's Sumatra and Java islands, as well as Malaysia. When it first blooms, the shape of this flower is quite bizarre. It lacks roots, stems, and leaves, making it seem more like a gigantic flower rather than a true plant. This unusual bloom has earned it the title 'The King of Flowers'.

The name 'king' is fitting, given its colossal size. A fully bloomed Rafflesia can measure up to 1.4 meters in diameter and weigh as much as 50 kilograms.

Initially, the flower emits a sweet fragrance, but this changes as it ages. Within a few days, the smell becomes overpoweringly foul, resembling the scent of rotting flesh. This repellent odor attracts carrion-eating insects, aiding in the flower's pollination. The Rafflesia only grows and flourishes in specific tropical forest regions.

The color of the flower is striking, and its smell is initially fragrant, but within days it becomes unbearable. The odor attracts flies and insects, which in turn help propagate the species. While the flower is enormous, the fruit is surprisingly small. The fruit is often carried away by elephants, helping the plant to spread to new locations.

One of the rarest flowers in the world, the Neelakurinji blooms only once every 12 years in the Kerala state of India, where it blankets the hillsides in a stunning shade of purple.

Kerala, renowned for its tropical vegetation, tranquil beaches, and flowing rivers, is home to the town of Munnar, nestled within the Western Ghats. This town holds one of India’s most remarkable secrets: the Neelakurinji flower, which blooms only once every 12 years. When in bloom, the sight of the hillsides covered in these flowers brings not only great significance to the locals but also spurs a tourism boom in the region. The blossoms, which grow in clusters between 30 to 60 cm in height, create a striking landscape around the town.

The Neelakurinji is more than just a beautiful flower; it carries deep cultural meaning. The Muthuvan tribe, a forest-dwelling community in Kerala, considers it a symbol of love and romance. The Paliyan tribe, a nomadic people of the Western Ghats, measure their age by the number of times they witness the blooming of this rare flower.

The Guinness World Records notes that the oldest flower ever to bloom did so 65 million years ago in South America, while the largest flower, a type of lily with a diameter of over 1 meter, blooms on a remote Pacific island. The smallest flower, a type of algae, has a diameter of just 0.7 mm. Among the rarest blooms is one that opens only once every 160 years.

Known scientifically as Protea Cynaroides, this stunning flower, often referred to as the King’s Flower, is also the national flower of South Africa. The history of this rare flower dates back to 1774 when the first seeds of Protea Cynaroides were brought from South Africa to London, England.

After careful cultivation and protection, the flower bloomed 52 years later, in 1826. However, at the time, photography had not yet been invented, so no visual record of the flower existed. The King’s Flower of South Africa became a legend in the plant world. For nearly two centuries, generations of British botanists meticulously tended to this rare species, hoping one day to witness its bloom. That moment of triumph arrived in 1986 at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London, an event hailed by the international scientific community as the "botanical event of the 20th century".

The first bloom had a diameter of 23 cm, followed by four more blooms, each occurring at intervals of 160 years. Renowned botanist Martin Staniforth dedicated half a century to studying the Protea Cynaroides. He proudly shared, "The blooms we saw in 1986 had been carefully monitored for five years before their flowering. We ensured the plant grew faster than it would naturally in the wild by applying scientific methods, such as precise calculations of soil conditions, watering schedules, and optimal temperatures. We used no synthetic fertilizers, only organic ones that matched the traditional soil types of South Africa."

Additionally, we added mineral salts and other compounds to preserve the traditional color of the flowers, as the misty climate of London could cause the blooms to fade prematurely."

Kadupul Flower is one of the rarest and most beautiful blooms in the world. Revered in Buddhism for its spiritual significance, it is also known in Japan as 'beauty under the moonlight.'

Though it belongs to the same family as Vietnam's Moonflower, the Kadupul is incredibly rare and can only be found in the forests of Sri Lanka. Its allure lies not just in its striking white petals tinged with gold but also in its delicate fragrance.

Perfume makers have struggled to replicate the scent of the Kadupul flower, as its fragrance is unmatched. Even more unique, the number of people who have been able to see and smell this flower is very limited. The Kadupul blooms only at night and fades by dawn, opening almost exclusively during the full moon each month. Its rarity and pristine beauty make it a truly exceptional flower. Its blooming is a mysterious event, happening only under very specific conditions.

This flower is prized for its soothing fragrance and high value, largely due to its short lifespan. To this day, no botanist has been able to explain the sudden death of the Kadupul flower after it blooms.

The Campion flower, scientifically known as Silene tomentosa, is native to Gibraltar, a British territory. It is a rare nocturnal bloom with a delicate fragrance, but its lifespan is very brief.

Interestingly, in 1992, botanists in Gibraltar officially declared that the Campion flower had become extinct. However, in 1994, a mountaineer discovered a small group of these flowers still thriving in the harsh cliffs of Gibraltar.

Today, these rare flowers can only be found in a few botanical gardens in Gibraltar and London, though the number of blooms remains very limited.

The Ghost Orchid is an exceptionally rare flower, resembling a spider, native to Cuba and Florida. It only grows in specific regions where conditions are ideal for its survival, making it quite scarce.

Interestingly, this plant has no leaves at all. Both its stem and flowers are green, making it difficult to identify. Without leaves, the Ghost Orchid cannot absorb nutrients on its own, relying instead on other plants for its energy.

The flower blooms for just three weeks between April and August. During this time, it emits a fragrance similar to soap. Because it thrives in areas with high humidity and warm temperatures, you can only find it in Cuba and Florida. The orchid depends on a specific fungus growing on its stem to provide nutrients, as it cannot perform photosynthesis on its own.

The name “Ghost” is fitting, as the plant can remain dormant underground for many years—once thought to be extinct—and blooms only when all conditions align perfectly. This rarity explains why orchid enthusiasts dream of witnessing this flower bloom at least once in their lifetime.