If you love flowers, you might want to add this one to your bucket list: the Middlemist’s Red camellia, also known as the spring rose, is widely regarded as the world’s rarest flower, as just two of these precious plants exist, one in New Zealand and another in the UK.
The flower was originally collected from China by John Middlemist, a nurseryman from Shepherd’s Bush, in 1804 and given to Kew Gardens. “The credit to bring this beautiful flower to Chiswick, West London goes to John Middlemist and this is how, it got its now popular name,” according to Arena Flowers. However, the flower disappeared from there and from its native country, possibly due to overcultivation.
The sixth Duke of Devonshire planted the flower in Chiswick House in 1823 as part of his camellia collection, which was housed in a 300ft-long conservatory. Local volunteers and plant scientists restored the conservatory and the camellias in the 1980s and 1990s after damage from the blitz and neglect. According to The Guardian, it took plant scientists over a decade to identify most of the species, some of which turned out to be unique and make up one of the world’s greatest historic camellia collections. Seven species still remain unidentified.
The other specimen of the Middlemist’s Red is located in Waitangi, New Zealand, where it was brought by Lord Bledisloe in 1934. The flower is not actually red, but a deep pink. It has a large bloom with many petals and a yellow center. It belongs to the camellia genus, which includes more than 200 species of evergreen shrubs and trees.
The flower has various health benefits, such as antioxidant properties, skin moisturizing effects, collagen boosting effects, hair strengthening effects, and medicinal benefits. It contains oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fatty acid. “The Middlemist’s Red has a long list of health benefits. An important one is that it has antioxidant properties, which can be beneficial to diseases such as various types of cardiovascular diseases and cancer,” Southside Blooms stated.
The flower blooms only once a year, usually in late winter or early spring. It is a rare sight to behold, and one that requires patience and luck. “Plant-lovers will have to take it on trust, as its magnificent Georgian home still has the builders in, but one of the rarest flowers in the world is in full bloom,” The Guardian wrote.
If you want to see this stunning flower for yourself, you might have to wait until next year, as the blooming season is almost over. But don’t worry, the Middlemist’s Red has been flowering for more than two centuries, and hopefully will continue to do so for many more. It is a living testament to the beauty and resilience of nature.
Relevant articles:
– World’s rarest camellia in full bloom | Gardens | The Guardian, The Guardian, Mon 8 Mar 2010
– Camellia Flower – The Rarest Middlemist Red Camellia Flowers, Arena Flowers, Tue 30 Mar 2021
– The Middlemist’s Red, rarest flower on earth – Southside Blooms, Southside Blooms, no date
– 5 incredible health benefits of middlemist red flower – WOMS, World of Medical Saviours, Tue 15 Dec 2020.