A woman in China, who switched a flower she had bought with another item on display at a Taiwanese flower shop thinking it was the same price, inadvertently took home a rare flower that could be worth 20 million yuan ($3 million).
Workers at the flower market in Yucheng went into a total panic after the store’s rare type of Iris japonica (butterfly flower) suddenly went missing.
The flower, which has been carefully cultivated over the past eight years, was the only one of its kind that they had left at the shop.
According to Shanghaiist, the nursery was planning to use that iris to grow more of the plant to meet growing international demand.
The nursery reportedly has orders from 10 different countries which supposedly amount to around 20 million yuan ($3 million). With the flower missing, the orders were at risk of being canceled.
Upon their discovery, employees of the shop eventually summoned local authorities for help. After careful investigation and review of security footage, the woman who took the iris home was identified and tracked.
Upon questioning, the woman explained that after buying another flower she had simply exchanged it for the one on display, which she thought was the same price. She reportedly had no idea she brought home a multi-million dollar flower.
In the end, the flower was returned and no charges were filed against the woman as the investigators have determined her alibi to be believable.
Images via Iqilu
