Fake blue roses bring real money for shops on Valentine's

February 14, 2014 | 14:47

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Shops have been turning cheap white roses into blue ones by soaking them in chemicals to meet the high demand for Valentine's Day, bringing big profits on the occasion.

A fake bunch of blue roses in Vietnam is priced at millions of VND

A bunch of blue roses can be sold for prices into the millions of VND, yet they continue attracting Vietnamese customers because they symbolise true love.

Besides the blue and traditional roses, shops are also selling new colours, such as purple and multi-colour.

Luong Quoc Tuan, who owns a shop on Tran Khat Chan Street in Hanoi, said he has received many orders for blue roses priced up to VND4.3 million (USD204.7) per bunch. A heart-shaped bunch is sold at VND3.9 million and a flowerpot at VND4 million and the rest range between VND1 million to VND3 million. A single rose retails VND50,000, but the price may double on Valentines’ Day.

He admitted that blue roses are almost all dyed. These roses can be kept for 4-5 days. “It is hard to find genuine blue roses in Hanoi because it is so expensive to import them,” Tuan added.

According to a survey taken at Quang An Market, white roses sell for VND3,000 – VND5,000 each, however after they are dyed the price increases by 10 to 20 times.

Blue roses are considered to be a special gift on Valentines’ Day in Vietnam, and real ones are difficult to come by. To date, only Japan grows them by cross-breeding.

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