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.

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 VND500,000 ($22) apiece, some shopkeepers said.

Anh Thu, a florist in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, also revealed that blue roses, fetching VND880,000 ($39) to VND2.4 million ($107) a stem, are also sought after despite their high prices.

“But the latest product is the ‘eternal rose’ preserved with French techniques that costs only VND70,000 [$3] to VND90,000 [$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.

“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 VND1.49 million ($67) apiece, whereas those from China are much cheaper, VND700,000 ($31). However, many buyers think that these are only fakes.