Apricot and peach blossoms are in full bloom, but despite drastically reduced prices, there are still few buyers.
Diep Thanh, Thanh Quynh•February 13, 2026 14:36
With only a few days left until the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026, the streets are ablaze with the vibrant colors of spring as flowers, peach blossoms, and chrysanthemums are displayed. However, behind this splendor lies the worry of many gardeners as the hot weather causes the flowers to bloom prematurely, slowing sales and forcing them to drastically lower prices while still attracting few customers.
With only three days left until the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026, the number of Tet flowers, especially peach blossoms and apricot blossoms, on the central streets of the former Vinh City area remains abundant. Due to the warm weather, most of the peach and apricot blossoms have bloomed. However, the general situation at the selling points is sluggish and lacking customers. Photo: Diep ThanhAt a stall near the entrance to the Central Park (Thanh Vinh ward), Mr. Nguyen Van Thong (a trader from Dak Lak province) shared: "This year I sold over 400 pots, but because of the warm weather, the flowers bloomed excessively, and demand decreased sharply. The plants displayed here are those that still have buds; more than 80 pots have bloomed completely and are unsellable." Photo: Diep ThanhSharing the same predicament, Mr. Nguyen Khac Thuong (residing in Cua Lo ward) said that he invested nearly 1.7 billion VND to import apricot and peach blossoms for sale. However, he has only earned 500 million VND so far. He said that he has been involved in the Tet flower selling business for 13 years, but never before has sales been so slow and he suffered such losses as this year. Photo: Thanh QuynhMany flower vendors believe the flowers bloomed early because this is a leap year, and the temperature is higher than usual. Photo: Diep ThanhBesides the reason of early blooming, some garden owners said that this year, due to the impact of storms and heavy rain, the trees are not as beautiful as in previous years, making them more difficult to sell. Photo: Thanh QuynhMr. Tran Van Phu (born in 1992, standing in the middle), residing in Nghi Xuan commune, Ha Tinh province, said: "Every year I go to Nghe An to buy Tet flowers, however, this year it's harder to choose because there are so many flowers blooming. The garden owners tried to negotiate a price reduction, but I'm still hesitant." Photo: Thanh QuynhWith few customers, many orchard owners quietly sit and watch their goods. Gone is the bustling buying and selling scene of previous years; everyone hopes the coming days will bring a livelier atmosphere so they can recoup their investment. Photo: Thanh QuỳnhFeeling anxious due to the lack of customers, a vendor selling Sa Pa peaches on Le Loi Street (Thanh Vinh Ward) is clearing out its stock at low prices. Photo: Diep Thanh“These are the unsold apricot blossom trees that have to be returned to the nursery to be replanted, to wait for next year's Tet season,” shared Mr. Tran Quoc Viet (born in 1982, residing in Vinh Hung ward), who is selling apricot blossom trees for Tet on Nguyen Truong Khoat street (Vinh Phu ward). Mr. Viet said that the prolonged hot weather caused the apricot blossoms to bloom early, missing the peak Tet flower shopping season. Photo: Thanh QuynhSeveral gardeners in Vinh Phu ward reported that sales this year are significantly slower than in previous Tet seasons. Many types of flowers used for Tet decorations, such as chrysanthemums and camellias, bloomed early due to changing weather conditions. Photo: Thanh QuynhFrom a customer's perspective, many people, while wanting to buy flowers to support the traders, are worried that the flowers will all bloom before Tet (Lunar New Year). Photo: Diep ThanhThe scene is desolate and lacks customers at many peach and apricot blossom stalls in the days leading up to Tet. Photos: Thanh Quynh, Diep Thanh
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