Euphorbia euphoria hits troubled province of Aceh

Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Aceh

Following louhan fish fever, the Acehnese have now caught euphorbia flower euphoria. The flower, which is imported from Thailand and is often called the Flower of Eight God, is believed to bring luck to its owners.

The euphorbia sells for between Rp 50,000 (US$6.25) and Rp 300,000 ($37.50), with the price depending on the exact type of the flower.

Putri, 34, an employee at a private bank in Banda Aceh, the capital of the troubled province of Aceh, said she liked the euphorbia because it was colorful and came in different types.

"Besides, all my colleagues are crazy about the flower so I followed suit," she said.

Putri has several pots of euphorbia which cost her between Rp 50,000 and Rp 150,000.

Most of the euphorbia flowers are brought to Aceh from Thailand via Medan, the capital of North Sumatra province. Others are shipped directly from Penang in Malaysia, entering through ports in Aceh.

Full-fledged euphorbia fever hit Aceh province last month, and now numerous houses in Banda Aceh are festooned with the flower.

The great demand for euphorbia has resulted in flower sellers blooming all over Banda Aceh. They set up makeshift shops in front of government offices across the city and on sidewalks along the capital's main thoroughfares.

Faisal, 28, an euphorbia seller, said he had to travel between Medan and Banda Aceh two or three times a month because of the overwhelming demand for the flower.

"Each trip I buy 200 pots of all different kinds of euphorbia flowers. I usually sell out the flowers within 10 days," said Faisal, adding that he started up his business with just Rp 2 million in capital.

Although martial law has been imposed in Aceh since last year, Faisal says the flower business is still bustling.

The most expensive type of the flower is called the Bangkok euphorbia and is much larger than other euphorbia types.

For the Bangkok variety, Faisal charges Rp 300,000. "I am stunned. Even though this type of flower costs much more, girls and women can still afford it."

Although he is clearly doing a good business, Faisal would not say exactly how much money he was making from this flower craze. "It is quite handsome, more than enough to cover my family's expenses."

According to field observations, the euphorbia costs more in Aceh than Medan.

Nazaria, 34, a resident of Lamlagang, Banda Aceh, said she saw a 10-centimeter high euphorbia for sale in Banda Aceh for Rp 50,000. "I visited Medan recently and the price of a similar euphorbia was only Rp 20,000."

Euphorbia euphoria follows Aceh's bout of louhan fish fever in 2001. The troubled province also suffered through a short attack of radio-controlled toy car craze.

The euphorbia comes from Madagascar and was brought to Thailand by a doctor named Raja Juba hundreds of years ago.