Why was this rejected for quality issues?

Too much noise & soft edges.

Also, some unwanted artifacts.

See below. 

Hope that helps.

It’s a beautiful shot. What/how did you get the dark area so dark? Vignetting is a big no with Adobe. Is it natural?  Personally I would resubmit if you have the raw file and try improving it.

Show us!

sharpness, exposure and the blemishes in the background.

Hello,

I would say it was rejected for exposure.

Even though it may be intentional, the overall effect may have led it to being rejected.

Was this image taken with a smartphone?
There is a lot of noise, and the edge enhancement feels quite strong.
A digital SLR camera would produce a more natural-looking image.
I'm also curious about the direction the flowers are facing.

The subject is dark. It is not in focus. I am not even sure what it is. And no commercial value