Roads, such as Nguyen Hoang, Luong Dinh Cua, and Mai Chi Tho, are already lined with seasonal flowers and decorative trees, signaling the start of the year-end festive market.
Popular Tet items, including chrysanthemums, roses, kumquat trees, and a wide range of ornamental plants from the Mekong Delta, have been brought into the city ahead of schedule to meet demand for New Year decorations and year-end celebrations. Downtown flower shops have also started stocking Tet plants. According to An Van Chinh, owner of Duc Hung Ornamental Plants in An Khanh Ward, traditional chrysanthemums are currently priced at VND180,000–200,000 per pot, while Korean chrysanthemums range from VND140,000–160,000. Early buyers are mainly purchasing for New Year decorations and year-end parties, though overall demand remains modest.
Along Mai Chi Tho Boulevard in Binh Trung Ward, large quantities of Dien pomelo trees have been gathered at ornamental plant yards. Garden owners said supplies will continue to increase in preparation for the Lunar New Year of the Fire Horse 2026. This year’s Dien pomelo trees reportedly bear twice as many fruits as last year, with improved quality, more uniform color, and fewer blemishes.
Prices, however, have risen sharply. Dien pomelo trees are selling for between VND7 million and VND70 million per pot, about 30 percent higher than during Lunar New Year 2025. Cao Quang Ha, owner of Thanh Giang Garden on Mai Chi Tho, attributed the increase to recent storms and heavy rains that damaged around 70 percent of pomelo orchards in Northern Vietnam.
Meanwhile, in long-established growing areas with yellow apricot blossoms (Ochna integerrima), such as Binh Loi Commune and Hiep Binh Ward, prolonged rains and tidal flooding in late October 2025 posed significant challenges. Still, experienced growers applied technical measures to ensure yellow apricot blossoms bloom on schedule. Bui Ngoc Duc, owner of Huu Duc Yellow Apricot Garden in Binh Loi, said yellow apricot blossom prices have risen only slightly compared to last year, a strategy aimed at boosting competitiveness in Northern and Central markets.
With about six weeks remaining until Lunar New Year, it is still early for Tet shopping but an ideal period for New Year decorations. Growers and traders in HCMC and the Mekong Delta agree that weak consumer spending remains the biggest uncertainty. Economic pressures are forcing households to be more cautious with non-essential purchases.
Market demand in the coming weeks will determine whether this year’s Tet flower season delivers both strong sales and good prices. Beyond commerce, ornamental plants continue to carry growers’ hopes for prosperity while adding color and vibrancy to the city’s year-end festive atmosphere.
