Euphorbia euphoria hits troubled province of Aceh

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.