The fluffy bright-red rambutan-like flower in various sizes goes by the Mandarin name Mao Guo Hua (hairy fruit flower).
Pasar malam trader Ooi Lee Mui, 48, will be selling the Mao Guo Hua at her stall in Kepong Baru.
“I decided to break away from the usual decorations,” she said when met in a gift shop at Petaling Street recently.
“I believe this unique looking flower will attract the younger generation as it provides a fresh alternative to the traditional pussy willow,” she added.
Shop supervisor Janice Teng Wai Ling, 23, said her store was always running out of Mao Guo Hua.
“Our shop started selling the plants before Christmas and many people, including new customers kept coming back to buy more,” she said.
Teng added that customers were using the flowers to decorate their homes and offices.
“Some banks and hotels have also bought them from us to usher in the new year at their premises,” she said.
TheStar
