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JOYOUS days are ahead, folks.  A lot of angpows will be or may already be floating around because the Lunar New Year is just days away.  This is a traditional practice where decades ago in the past, a couple of coins would be the standard auspicious gift of good wishes.

The important matter, however, is to extend good wishes and receive auspicious greetings in return.

Oftentimes, instead of angpows, the gifting of plants, especially those with lucky connotations, are used to signify the extension and receipt of good fortune.  Extension of and receipt of lucky wishes is the dream of everyone who cherishes an improved livelihood and better fortune in everything he or she does.

As of this moment, there are many outlets that try to sell all kinds of conceivable and inconceivable good luck items.  Don’t dwell on expensive things such as jewellery or designer, branded products as they are out of reach of many people.

But with plants, the price range may be so wide that it is possible to fit into the needs of everyone who cares to walk by.  There is always something for everyone including the one on a shoe-string budget, or one who is loaded with tons of money.

Don’t believe? Just go nosing around places like Foh Sang and Bornion shoplots, Lido, Damai, Inanam, Gaya Street, Tg. Aru, Penampang, Kepayan or Putatan, and many other places all over Kota Kinabalu city.

Most of these plants are produced locally but there are some that are imported.  For example, much of the pussy willow cuttings come from overseas sources.  These are usually in demand prior to the festive days.

Silvery-gray pussy willows are most commonly seen while other colours such as pink are becoming more and more popular.  Apart from these, there are also white, yellow and golden colours but these are only gaining in popularity. 

Locally produced lucky plants, money trees, money plants and gold coin plants, and a wide range of other fortune-bearing plants, are all produced locally.  

All of these are believed to carry lucky implications which means that any plant that you lug home may, who knows, shower you with lots of good tidings and abundant fortune.

Interestingly, the locally produced good fortune plants are widely cultivated by local folks.

They may buy one or two of them but are likely to have prepared such plants in advance, knowing that these may shower even greater fortune in this Year of the Horse.

Who knows, a first prize strike at Toto, Magnum or Sandakan 4-D is certainly a very ecstatic start to the New Year. 

One variety that is very popular is known as lucky bamboo.  This is basically derived from the variety known as Draceana sanderiana which is widely grown as a green-stalked ornamental all over the state.  

One form of treatment results in tall stems being twisted into a gnarled form, of which a few are usually slotted into tall, slim jars.  

Another form is to trim them into shorter pieces that may range from 15 to 45 cm in length.  Sprouted ones with fresh, vigorous shoots are then tied in the form of a cylinder and then placed in matching pots.  

They are usually sold for RM80 to Rm500 each, depending on the size and height of the set-up.  The belief is that as bamboo is a forever-living plant, it means the fortune raked in will also be unending.

Pachira aquatica is also another popular lucky plant that is widely known as money tree.  It grows well outdoors and indoors and once planted, it may last for ages, provided the soil not too wet and soggy.  

Very often, several plants are bound together with the stems twisted in a uniform, uni-direction.  It takes about 5-7 years to produce an appreciably thick triple or quintuple stemmed specimen which may appear to be very quaint, artistic and stylishly decorative.  

In many East Asian countries, the homes and offices of the prosperous usually have such plants to bring in even more good fortune.  Little wonder these lucky plants cost thousands of ringgit each for overall heights of 1.5-2.0 metres, thickness of about 10 cm measured at heights of 20-30 cm, and a fat basal caudex.

Zamioculcas zamiifolia or ZZ plant is another fortune-attracting plant that grows well indoors.  It is also commonly known as the fengshui plant as it is believed to be able to enhance the fengshui of the property, thus showering it with gushing flows of good fortune.  

The plant is a nice ornamental that is cultivated for its beautiful foliage that bears a lot of glossy, shiny leaves spread out along long stalks.  The leaves do not drop or fade away unless parts of the plant are injured or diseased.

And yet another gorgeous plant that seems to be rather common, may be moulded by skilful hands into a classy plant that fits the image of a golden, lucky plant.  This is the often-seen limau kasturi or calamansi which the Chinese community often calls it ‘kit chai’.  

The difference between a calamansi plant grown in the kampung and the ones cultivated in the city lies in the careful manicuring, fertilising, trimming and training months before they are expected to serve in certain functions.

This is why the calamansi plants sold during this period are always fully laden with densely packed golden yellow fruits.  Such an image certainly opens up customers’ wallet without restraint, thus ensuring good luck for all, the buyer as well as the seller.

The above writer may be reached at: onggrow@yahoo.com