Anyone who has bought two dozen red roses should know two things. Firstly, there is a magical quality about them. They have an air of romance which speaks the language of love. Secondly, most people wince when they have to pay for them. Although it is money well spent, many first time buyers are taken aback when they realise just how much these treasured flowers cost.
If you think roses are pricey, think again! Enjoy this story about the most expensive plants and flowers ever sold to put the price of beautiful cut flowers into perspective.
The Saffron Crocus
Coming in at a paltry £1000-1500 per pound, Saffron Crocus has earned the reputation of being more expensive than gold. A popular spice used in high cuisine, Saffron is both delicious and fragrant. The flower is purple in colour with a yellow stamen. A red stigma is delicately removed from around 80 000 flowers to yield just 500 grams of spice. No wonder it’s so expensive!
The Rotchschild's Orchid
A general internet search for the world's most expensive flowers will reveal a great number of rather expensive orchids. Certain orchids require very precise growing conditions with the right amount of humidity, oxygen and temperatures. They may take several years to bloom or may only flower once in a lifetime.
The Rotchschild Orchid, which is also known as the Gold of Kinabalu, was first discovered in 1987. In the wild, this orchid grows exclusively in Malaysia's Kinabalu National Park. Because of its rarity, orchid smugglers seized upon it with fervour. It didn't take long before this elusive plant was nearly rendered extinct. A single specimen goes for around $5,000.00.
Saffron Crocus and the Rotchschild Orchid are still small change items. Our next few plants have managed to make it into the big league. Once you see what people have paid for the following, you will immediately warm up to the price of the red roses!
The Shenzhen Nongke Orchid
As far as orchids go, this one is rather plain. But with all due respect to the Shenzen Nongke Group who took eight years to develop this plant in a laboratory, you will probably fail to see how anyone could possibly justify the $202,000.00 dollar price tag for a single plant. Yes, you read that correctly and it was no typo. TWO HUNDRED AND TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS!
To put it into perspective, a 2015 model Ferrari California T retails for $198,000.00 This means you could own a fabulous sports car with $4,000.00 worth of fuel or you could own a plant that might die in a matter of hours if you don't water it correctly.
We are fairly certain that if you arrived home and told your partner that he/she has the choice between a rare pot plant of a brand new red Ferrari, they would choose the Ferrari. If, however, you do plan to splurge, we would be more than happy to help you out in the flower department for a great deal less than that.
The Juliet Rose
Shenzhen Nongke Orchids are nothing when compared to this rose. The Juliet Rose took creator David Austin 15 years to develop. The flower premiered at the world famous Chelsea Flower Show back in 2006. Price tag? Just under $16 million – SIXTEEN MILLION DOLLARS. That is roughly the equivalent of EIGHTY Ferrari California T's. You could drive a brand new Ferrari every week for a year and a half – or you could have a Juliet Rose. Which will it be?
Finally, Where The Value Is
The amount of time and energy that goes into developing these very special plants is not for the faint hearted. The techniques involved in developing speciality flowers are extensive. The rewards, as evidenced by the high prices and competition is fierce. Many a garden gnome has dreamed of striking it big!
Rest assured though, that the beautiful and unique flower designs from our catalogue represent fantastic value for money. At Bloom Magic you are guaranteed impressive flowers the likes of which will truly please.