Vietnamese are willing to pay for imported flowers and ornamental plants for Tet.

Ha Thu Mai, owner of an imported flower shop in District 3, said that the winter peach tree branches imported from Japan and the Netherlands were sold at VND400,000 (US$17) or more per branch, far more expensive than the locally grown peach tree.

Meanwhile, apricot blossom trees imported from Japan are selling from VND220,000 ($8.5) per branch.

At least 10 branches are needed for decoration. Customers have been willing to spend about VND2.2 million to VND4 million ($85-170) for each imported flower pots for Tet.

Besides the traditional Tet flowers, apricot blossoms and peach flowers, customers are also seeking to decorate their houses and offices with other artificial plants including mangos, kumquats and soursops, which are placed in ceramic pots and cost between VND8 million ($340) and VND25 million ($1,050) each.

In recent years, there has been higher demand for uniquely shaped ornamental trees for Tet such as five-fruit trees, a new tree variety that farmer Le Duc Giap of Hanoi has successfully grown.

Depending on their size and quality, the trees, which yield five fruits of pomelo, orange, tangerine, kumquat and phat thu (Buddha hand-shaped fruit), cost between VND8 million and VND25 million.

The shapes of 12-animal ornamental plants are also in high demand this Tet, especially those in the shape of the rat, this year's zodiac symbol.

The rat-shaped plants are 1.5 metre high and are sold for VND2-5 million.

Last year, Vietnam imported flowers and ornamental plants worth $18 million including orchids, rhododendron, dumb cane plants and cedrus bonsai trees for the 2018 Lunar New Year.

Prices going up

Besides expensive imported flowers, the high rent needed to secure a place to sell ornamental flowers and fruit trees have also pushed up Tet flower prices.

As usual, many types of ornamental flowers are being sold at flower shops. But traders and gardeners have also rushed to find places to sell peach blossoms and miniature orange citrus trees ahead of Tet.

Tran Ngoc Thien, owner of Truong Thien apricot blossom garden in HCM City’s Binh Chanh District, said he had to spend VND300 million ($13,300) to rent six land lots to sell apricot blossoms in Pham Van Dong Street.

A few years ago, the rent in the area was only VND10-15 million per land lot. But since flower sellers have been banned to showcase goods in many roads, the land lot rent has risen, causing problems for gardeners, he said.

Tran Thien, an apricot-blossoms seller in Cu Chi District, said that he had to register early with organisers to secure a place in District 10 to sell flowers. The price of blossoms this year thus increases slightly due to the high rents.

Some places used for selling flowers ahead of Tet every year have been relocated at the back of high-rise buildings. VNS