1. Dragon’s Blood Tree
The Dragon’s Blood Tree (Dracaena cinnabari) is a dragon tree native to Yemen. It gets its name from the red color of the sap that it produces, which is reminiscent of blood. Its strange shape looks like an umbrella.
The sap of the tree, called dragon’s blood, has been highly sought after since the ancient world. It has been used as a dye, a medicine, a stimulant, a breath refreshened and lipstick, among other uses.
2. Middlemist’s Red
The Middlemist’s Red or the spring rose is one of the world’s rarest flowers. Only two of these plants exist. One at Treaty House in New Zealand and another at Chiswick House & Gardens in England.
The latter has been flowering there every year since 1823. It was first imported as a luxury item from China in 1804. By the mid-1820’s, it was nearly extinct in its native habitat.
3. Rothschild’s Slipper Orchid
Rothschild’s Slipper Orchid, also known as the Gold of Kinabalu, is a large clear-leafed kind of orchid. It was first discovered in the rainforests around Mount Kinabalu in northern Borneo.
This “aristocrat of all slipper orchids” takes 15 years to grow and bloom. It is very rare and hard to find, which has made it one of the most expensive flowers in the world. The value of a single stem on the black market is around $5000.