We have to agree that flowers are beautiful, each one with its own characteristics and original elements. It is difficult to choose which is the most exceptional. But one thing we can confirm, rarity attracts crowds!
Rare seedlings are those that flower once every few decades or that require certain conditions to develop. Also on the list are those that have been cultivated in a single way over the years.
Therefore, there are many types that were erased from nature and only exist with the help of botanists – and the cast is not small!
If you are a plant lover and want to know more about them and their varieties, here are some that are hard to find:
1. Rose Juliet
The juliet rose is one of those examples that has become unusual because it has been grown in a certain way for years. In this case, David Austin spent 15 years developing in England.
With peach and apricot colored petals, during flowering they open to reveal smaller buds in their heart.
2. Phantom Orchid
The unusual format gave rise to the name of this plant, with a green stem and branches and white petals. It requires high temperatures and humidity to grow. It becomes almost impossible to create the species outside its natural habitat – which is being destroyed, unfortunately.
Because it doesn’t contain leaves, it doesn’t produce its food through photosynthesis, so it needs to be connected to another plant to get enough energy.
3. Orange Lily (Lilium Bulbiferum)
This type of lily is disappearing in some countries. Featuring a trumpet-shaped look, they are red and orange. Although they are toxic and can cause skin irritation, they are used for medicinal purposes.
4. Chocolate Cosmos
Did I hear seedlings smell like fresh chocolate? That’s right! The bad news is that it is on the list of endangered plants, as it has not been present in the environment for 40 years.
Its beauty is extravagant and its structure reaches 40 to 70 cm in height. They do not set seeds and need to be raised with the aid of tissue culture or root division. Only their clones survive today. The areas where cosmos chocolate lives are protected by law.
5. Orchid cactus
The orchid cactus is valuable because it does not flower easily – the process occurs exclusively at night, as it withers at dawn, making it difficult to locate – and has a short lifespan.
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It grows in nature, among the decomposing materials around the trees, and can measure 30 cm in length and 17 cm in width.
6. Corpse flower
If some vegetables have a magnificent aroma, others not so much. Known as one of the largest flowers in the world, standing up to 3.6 m tall, it blooms once every few decades.
It has no roots, leaves or stem. Its structure appears to have only one petal, green on the outside and burgundy red on the inside. Its name is not for nothing, to attract flies and carrion beetles, it produces a fetid odor – similar to that of rotten meat.
7. Jade Creeper
Deforestation has brought this plant to the brink of extinction. The jade vine has a claw figure that is suspended and can reach 3 m in length. Part of the pea and bean family, the species is native to the rainforests of the Philippines.
Depending on bats for pollination, it is difficult to propagate in captivity.
8. Red Middlemist Camellia
Only two specimens of this camellia exist in the world today. Despite not having a concrete explanation for the extinction of the variety, excessive cultivation may have played an important role.
Resembling a rose, it is native to China and was brought to the United Kingdom in 1804. Now, two remaining branches are found in captivity – in the botanical garden in New Zealand and in a greenhouse in England.
As it was sold to the public in England, it could be that some people have a Carmelia Middlemist but don’t know it.
9. Franklin Tree
Since the early 1800s, the Franklin tree has been erased from nature – a fungal disease is believed to be the reason. Those that currently exist were generated from seeds collected in the 18th century, which made it a popular garden plant.
The flower consists of five white petals with clusters of yellow stamens in the center. The only type in the genus Franklinia, it has dark green leaves that turn red in the fall.
10. Paphiopedilum Rothschildianum
This one is hard to find! In addition to liking altitudes above 500 meters, it also takes 15 years to develop. Known as slipper orchid, as the lower lip resembles the piece, the seedling is one of the five names that are part of this variety.
Two thin petals that grow horizontally, like wings, make it special.
11. Peak of paloma
The beautiful plant requires specific temperatures and any variation affects it. It is believed that it began to disappear from its ecosystem in 1884, but it can be grown in gardens or indoors.
With striking colors in orange and red, the peak of paloma grows on vines and demands a lot of sun and low temperatures. The soil should be well-drained but moist so the roots don’t rot.
12. Koki’o
Koki’o, especially the immaculatus type, is found in certain areas of humid montane forest. The 457 to 609 cm tall shrub has large white flowers, measuring 10.16 cm in diameter.
Found on Moloka’i Island, Hawaii, they are easy to grow from fresh seeds and hybridize, making seedlings different from their parents.
13. Black bat flower
With an impressive look, the bat flower really resembles a bat. Just by presenting the black color, it already becomes rare.
From the same family as the yam, it measures up to 30 cm in diameter and its stamens are long and drooping, reaching up to 70 m in length. To live quietly, she needs a lot of moisture and water – not an easy type to have at home, as the common home environment is very dry and cold.
14. Campion of Gibraltar
After disappearing from the wild, today the branch is cultivated artificially in the Botanic Gardens Almeda Gibraltar and the Royal Botanic Gardens in London. Protected by law, it exists in shades ranging from violet to bright pink and is capable of reaching 40 cm.
15. Youtan Poluo
Can you imagine waiting 3,000 years for a seedling to develop? This is the case with Youtan Poluo, a tiny parasite found on a palm leaf. Also popularly called Udumbara, the branch emits a smooth aroma.
Rarity is a warning sign
Were you enchanted by any species on the list? Know that letting them die causes irreparable damage to the environment and takes away the right of future generations to know these magnificent fruits.
Some are protected by law, but there is an urgent need to raise public awareness.
*Via Travel Earth