You wouldn’t necessarily think of flowers as being expensive, would you? After all, you can pick up a bunch any time you go to the grocery store, let alone a florist’s. You can buy them online, send them as gifts, choose them for special occasions, and they come in all shapes, sizes, colours and fragrances. Not exactly a luxury item, are they?

Well, if that’s your line of thinking, turns out you’re wrong. In fact, when you have money to spend (like that online casino jackpot you’re playing for) you can find flowers just as extravagant as a Lamborghini – and far pricier too. So before you turn your nose up at flowers being just another everyday purchase, first take a whiff of these…

1. Kadupul Flower: Priceless
Ok, ok so we cheated a little with this one – as the Kadupul Flower isn’t technically a flower, it’s a cactus. Or at least, a flower that blooms on a cactus. While that might not sound particularly exotic or expensive, in fact this white-yellow cactus flower is the rarest of them all, both unbelievably difficult to see, and downright impossible to pick.

Why? Because the Kadupul Flower blooms only at night, lives for just a few short hours, then dies by morning. This tragic lifespan has led to the flower being known as the Queen of the Night – one with a unique fragrance that has inspired countless bottles of perfume. Try to pick one of these beauties and you’ll instantly shorten its already brief life – which is precisely why the Kadupul is priceless, as it literally cannot be picked or sold. If you’re feeling adventurous, take a trip out to southern Mexico or South America to view it in its natural habitat, and snap a pic (which ironically will last longer than the flower ever will). Instagram story, anyone?

2. Juliet Rose: £10 million
Roses are beautiful, but they’re not particularly difficult to come by, are they? Tell that to David Austin, the creator of the Juliet Rose, who took a staggering 15 years to create this precious piece of horticulture. Known as the Juliet Rose, this pale peach miracle was first debuted at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2006, and is known for its large-headed blooms, perfect petals and softly alluring scent. Mesmerisingly beautiful to look at, the Juliet Rose is no shrinking violet when it comes to price, as not only did it cost its creator £2.3 million to grow, it’ll cost you £10 million to buy. Now, how many Lamborghinis could you buy for that?

3. Shenzhen Nongke Orchid: £160 000
If the Juliet Rose had you clutching your pearls at the price, this might be more up your alley – the Shenzhen Nongke Orchid, selling for a far more reasonable £160 000. Developed by Chinese agricultural scientists and named for the university in which it was created, the Shenzhen Nongke Orchid took eight years to develop, and blooms just once every four to five years. Despite its man-made origins, the orchid is nevertheless prized for its beauty, rarity, and delicate fragrance, as well as its challenging cultivation – all elements that make it worth every penny of its £160 000 price tag. Best you look at the care instructions very carefully when purchasing one!

4. Wedding bouquet: £80 000
You’d expect a decent wedding bouquet to be up there in the mid to high hundreds, maybe even a little more. But £80 000? That’s just completely ridiculous! Well, no – not when you consider that this particular wedding bouquet is made up of orchids, lilies, and moonflowers, as well as the root of a 100-year-old ficus! But wait, we’re not done. Because just to be completely extra, the bouquet is also studded with 90 rubies, nine diamonds, and a huge 21.6 carat star ruby to boot. Because nothing says marriage like walking down the aisle drenched in flowers and gemstones. Just to be totally clear, this is not a bouquet you toss to single ladies – this is one you keep for as long as it lasts, and maybe even a little longer. Because you don’t just throw £80 000 around like it grows on trees (ficus root or no ficus root).

5. Gold of Kinabalu Orchid: £3 800
We’re definitely moving into the ranks of the more affordable here, but £3 800 still isn’t anything to sniff at. Although you’ll most definitely want to take a sniff of the Gold of Kinabalu Orchid, a flower that grows only in the Kinabalu National Park in Malaysia, on the slopes of Mount Kinabalu (hence the name). Both rare and endangered, the Gold of Kinabalu Orchid grows only in the months of April and May, taking up to 15 years open up and reveal its green and red glory. So essentially what you’ll need here is patience and a decent bank balance.

6. Gloriosa: $6 – $10 per flower
We’re going right down with this bloom, but still not all the way to your common-or-garden grocery store bouquet. Meet the Gloriosa – a flower native to Asia and South Africa, and one as rare as it is extravagant. Found in a variety of colours from yellow and yellow-green to orange and red, the Gloriosa has a distinct shape and size, with petals resembling tendrils, and leaves that can grow up to three metres long. Handle it with care though, as it’s poisonous if ingested (although why would you ever do that?) and can even cause skin irritation too. So wear gloves, keep it out of reach of children, and enjoy your glorious Gloriosa from a respectable distance.

7. Lily of the Valley: $15 – $50 per bunch
Last on our list today, the Lily of the Valley is another flower that’s deceptively dangerous, with beautiful blooms that are poisonous if ingested (we have to ask, who are these people going around eating flowers?). Said to resemble the tears of the Holy Mother Mary herself, Lily of the Valley grow in the northern hemisphere springtime, usually around March, and last only a few weeks once picked. Plus, harvest a bunch the wrong way and you’ll shorten their lifespan even further (although we have to say, we’re not sure what the wrong way is to pick flowers). What we are sure of though is that a bunch of these will definitely put a smile on the face of whoever you choose to give them to – something that’s worth every cent you spend on them.

Keep spinning those reels to land yourself a Juliet Rose 🙂