10 of the World’s Rarest Flowers — and Where To See Them 

No two flowers are alike, which means that every single flower has its own distinct color, variation, and petal shape. And with an estimated 369,000 species of flowering plants around the world, the opportunities for a magnificent garden of epic proportions are seemingly endless. If you’ve ever traveled to witness the wildflower “superbloom” phenomena or spent lengthy hours in your local nursery, a trip to see one of Earth’s rarest plant specimens should be on your list. Here are 10 places that are home to the world’s rarest flowers.

Franklin Tree – Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

This white flowering tree of the tea family (Franklinia alatamaha) is native to the Altamaha River in Georgia, but it has been extinct in the wild since the early 19th century. Fortunately, the species was preserved by early American colonists after they observed its decline in the southeastern United States. It’s fitting that you can now find this specimen named after Benjamin Franklin in his home state of Pennsylvania at Scott Arboretum, located on the grounds of Swarthmore College. 

The gardens are free to the public and open daily, but the best time to visit is between July and August, when the trees are in full bloom and emit a sweet-smelling fragrance reminiscent of orange blossom and honeysuckle. 

Corpse Flower – Washington, D.C.

With some comparing the stench of the corpse flower (titan arum) to that of rotting flesh, it’s clear that morbid curiosity is what compels so many to seek out the flower for a closer inspection. Visitors often crowd the halls of the United States Botanic Garden on the days when botanists estimate the plant will bloom and emit its unpleasant odor. 

Odd in shape and size, with a tall single leaf that can grow up to 9 feet tall and distinct maroon coloring at the base, the unusual flower is native to the rainforests on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It doesn’t have an annual blooming cycle, only unfurling for roughly two days every two to three years. Many gardens across the country have a corpse flower, but the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C., is home to several specimens, so the odds of smelling one are even better.

Gibraltar Campion – Gibraltar

The extremely rare Gibraltar campion (Silene tomentosa) is a perennial with beautiful white or pale violet-pink flowers. Endemic to the British overseas territory of Gibraltar, the plant is so rare that it was believed to be extinct in 1992, but it was later rediscovered in the Gibraltar Nature Preserve atop the Upper Rock of Gibraltar in 1994. 

Your best chances of spotting the specimen are by visiting the preserve in the spring. You can reach the Upper Rock by riding the cable car or climbing the Mediterranean Steps to the top. Even if you don’t get the chance to see the campion’s blossoms, the view is incredible. Another place to spot the flowers is the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens. 

Ghost Orchid -Naples, Florida

With a name like “ghost orchid” (Dendrophylax lindenii), it’s no surprise that spotting this unusual orchid specimen pollinated by giant sphinx moths is a rare occurrence. A completely leafless orchid, the all-white blossom appears to float detached in the wild with no stem, resembling a ghost. Its scent is often compared to apples. 

Finding the phantom-like flower is no easy feat: It only blooms once a year for a few weeks (or not at all). The flower grows in just three southwestern counties in Florida, the Bahamas, and Cuba. Plus, it is well camouflaged among overgrown roots and shrubs in its native swamp habitat. For the best likelihood of seeing the rare blooms, visit the Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, a 2.25-mile boardwalk adventure through the heart of the Everglades in Florida. 

(To help preserve the ghost orchid, you can support Everglades restoration initiatives to reduce polluted water discharge threatening its swamp habitat.)

Jade Vine – New York, New York

It’s not often that you find a turquoise-colored flower, but the jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys), a blue-green member of the pea family, is as striking as the gemstone for which it’s named. Endangered in the Philippine rainforests where it’s endemic, the jade vine relies on bats for pollination, which makes cultivation difficult, and deforestation of its natural habitat is causing the risk of extinction. Luckily, you can enjoy the exquisite vine at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, which contains more than 1 million plants in total.

(To help preserve the jade vine and combat deforestation in the Philippines, consider supporting nonprofit organizations such as the Haribon Foundation and Forest Foundation Philippines.) 

Catherine-Wheel Pincushion – Cape Town, South Africa

The spindly protea named the Catherine-wheel pincushion (Leucospermum catherinae) is a firework pincushion native to the Western Cape province of South Africa. Mentioned on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the flower is in decline due to drought, fires, invasive species, vineyard cultivation, and overgrazing in the low footslopes of the mountains where it grows. 

The best chance to spot the flower is by visiting Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town. Located on the eastern slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain, it is considered to be one of the best botanic gardens in the world. Plan your trip from summer to early fall, when the fiery blossoms are a beautiful shade of orange. 

(To help preserve the Catherine-wheel pincushion, you can support nonprofits such as Greenpop, which is devoted to forest restoration, urban greening, and food gardening.)

Darwin’s Slipper – Berkeley, California

Studied by Charles Darwin during his voyage around South America in the 1830s, Darwin’s sipper (Calceolaria uniflora) is a cool-climate species native to the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of Chile and Argentina. The main identifiers of the flower are its tongue-shaped leaves and yellow, white, and auburn coloring.

Due to its remote habitat, the species of slipper is so rare that counterfeit seeds of the plant are commonly sold, making cultivation difficult. To see Darwin’s slipper up-close, you can visit the University of California Botanical Garden in Berkeley.

Juliet Rose – Dallas, Texas

Hailed as the most expensive rose in the world, the Juliet rose (Ausleap) was introduced in 2006 by renowned breeder David Austin, who reportedly spent 15 years and £3 million to grow his vision in England. The peach rose has distinct cupped petals and a tantalizing sweet fragrance, so it is very recognizable among other rose varieties. You can see this beauty up-close at various botanic gardens across the U.S., such as the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden in Texas.

Blue Puya – Blue Mountains, Australia

With a 7-foot-tall stalk and unusually rare metallic turquoise-and-orange blossoms, the blue Puya or sapphire tower (Puya alpestris) is closely related to the pineapple. It is endemic to the southern Andes of Chile and Argentina. Taking up to 10 years to flower, the bromeliad is drought-tolerant, so it thrives in desert climates. 

You can view the otherworldly specimen at Blue Mountains Botanic Garden in Mount Tomah, Australia — an alpine rainforest surrounded by a UNESCO World Heritage Area wilderness and home to cool-climate plants from around the world.

Middlemist Red Camellia – Waitangi, New Zealand, and London, England

Generally considered the world’s rarest flower, the Middlemist red camellia is a cultivar of the common camellia (Camellia japonica). There are only two known specimens in existence. One is found at the Treaty House, the former house of James Busby, the British Resident in New Zealand from 1833 to 1840, that is now a historic site in Waitangi, New Zealand. The other is at the Chiswick House and Gardens, an 18th-century villa with 65 acres of gardens in London. 

Endemic to China, these plants have flowered for more than two centuries. The camellia was imported to Britain as a luxury item in 1804 but later became extinct in Asia. Scientists who have studied the flower have also discovered its antioxidant properties, which may be beneficial to fighting cancer and cardiovascular diseases. 

Although the camellia is relatively simple to cultivate, botanists are hesitant to use its cuttings to propagate since they don’t want to harm the two plants in existence. Luckily, the two camellias continue to thrive today — although one was almost lost when a bomb dropped near Kew Gardens, where it was originally housed in England during World War II.