Imported roses that can remain fresh for a decade or those measuring more than one meter long are selling like hot cakes as Vietnamese men seek original gifts for their beloved on Valentine’s Day.

A woman chooses Ecuadorian roses at a florist's in Ho Chi Minh City on February 12, 2017. Tuoi Tre

Customers began flocking to flower and gift shops on Sunday to look for the best gifts to give away this Tuesday, with exotic products winning over many young men, according to storekeepers.

Ecuador’s red roses, whose stems are 1.5 meters or even 2 meters long, and Chinese ones that stay fresh for years have been selling well, despite costing as much as 500,000 VND ($22) apiece, some shopkeepers said.

Anh Thu, a florist in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, also revealed that blue roses, fetching 880,000 VND($39) to 2.4 million VND ($107) a stem, are also sought despite their high prices.

“But the latest product is the ‘eternal rose’ preserved with French techniques that costs only 70,000 VND [$3] to 90,000 VND [$4], but can remain fresh for up to ten years,” Thu said.

Thu said the ‘eternal roses’ are made from real flowers with all kinds of color, from blue and green to black and white, besides the traditional red and pink.

A '24k gold-coated' rose is seen in a Facebook ad.

“Without any care, the flowers will still look bright for three to five years, or even ten years as claimed by some producers,” Thu said.

“Young customers prefer this product as it symbolizes eternity in love, without withering after blossoming like conventional flowers.”

For even more peculiar Valentine’s Day gift ideas, some Vietnamese have looked on the Internet and Facebook, where such products as roses coated with 24k gold are advertised.

The ‘golden roses’ claimed to be imported from India are on sale at 1.49 million VND ($67) apiece, whereas those from China are much cheaper, 700,000 VND ($31). However, many buyers think that these are only fakes.

(Source: Tuoitrenews)