Orchid farmers in the central county of Nantou have turned to coloring to boost their business, which has been hit hard by COVID-19 this year.
Taiwan is famous for its moth orchids. But have you ever seen so many colors before? There are bright greens, turquoise blues, yellows, reds, purples, and even flowers with two colors.
These colors aren’t natural, though: they’re sprayed on when the flowers are almost in full bloom. The reaction from consumers has been mixed. One thinks that flowers sprayed blue are unique. But maybe the color is too bright, another suggests: they’re just too artificial.
Will the paint hurt the natural growth of the flowers? One farmer says that this won’t happen because he only uses plant-based paint, not chemical paint. What’s more, he says that this paint can actually keep the flowers fresh and prolong their blooming time.
Moth orchids sprayed with colored paint are more expensive than natural-colored ones. Growers hope the vivid colors will drive sales in the run-up to the Lunar New Year holiday.