Flowers grow only to wither. Even though their lives are short, the glorious colors and charming fragrances have made flowers significant to people for centuries.

Although many preservation methods such as pressing and drying have been developed through the course of history, it was only in the 20th century that a way to preserve fresh flowers in such a way as to retain their natural appearance was developed. On the advent of this technology, they were mass produced in Germany and sold as bridal bouquets, decoration and high-end gifts across Europe.

Though popular in the West for decades, preserved fresh flowers have only recently been catching on in China, where they are called yongsheng hua, meaning immortal flowers. Now there are many places across Shanghai where they can be purchased, some of which are profiled below.

Candice Garden recommends Singular Rose as Mother's Day gifts. Photos: Courtesy of the flower shops

Forever flowers

Yongsheng hua keep the natural texture and look of fresh flowers for at least two years.

Fresh-cut flowers go through a standard process to become yongsheng hua that includes dehydration, decoloration, drying and dyeing.

Since yongsheng hua are produced as single flowers, florists use iron wires to create artificial stalks, or display the flowers in boxes.

"The design of yongsheng hua depends on the type of flower and its color," Wei Yu, the owner of online flower shop Candice Garden, told the Global Times. "However, there are fewer than 50 kinds of preserved fresh flowers on the market in China, so the design of ready-to-sell products requires a lot of creativity."

Thirty-year-old Shanghainese Wei was a designer at an architecture firm who decided to quit his job and open his online shop (http://www.candicegarden.com/) last September. Each day he would buy flowers for his wife from the local flower shop. However, he grew bored with the range available, inspiring him to go to Caojiadu Flower Market and design his first bouquet.

Candice Garden recommends Star as Mother's Day gifts. Photos: Courtesy of the flower shops

After he posted pictures of his arrangement on Weibo, people asked if his work was available to buy.

"I tried to handle one or two orders every week, but the number of orders increased rapidly," Wei said, admitting that his new sideline sometime meant he was late for work.

"The flower market opens at 6 am every day, so I had to rush to the market and finish the arrangements before setting off for work," he said.

Named after his daughter, Candice Garden provides both fresh and preserved flowers. According to Wei, the share of sales that preserved flowers account for expanded rapidly, and now contributes half his business revenue.

Wei also designs gift boxes for commercial brands, including MaxMara and L'Occitane.

"The demand for yongsheng hua is huge," he said. "High-end imported single preserved flowers are always hard to get."

Despite being known as immortal in Chinese, preserved flowers have their life span significantly shortened if not stored correctly, Wei said, particularly if they are exposed to high humidity and high temperatures.

For the upcoming Mother's Day, Wei suggested two series of yongsheng hua at his shop, Star (878 yuan, $141) and Singular Rose (228 yuan).

Other options for preserved flowers

The Beast

Claiming to be the shop that introduced the concept of yongsheng hua to the city, The Beast is the most renowned preserved fresh flower brand in Shanghai. Opened by a Fudan graduate in 2011, The Beast is dedicated to the art of arranging yongsheng hua. Besides flowers, the shop has expanded its business to perfumes, accessories, apparel and home wares.

Address: 1/F, Lane Crawford, 99 Huaihai Road Middle

Call 400-920-0108 or visit http://www.thebeastshop.com/ for details

Effleur

Hidden in the Hilton Hotel on Huashan Road, Efflleur is a 15-year-old traditional flower shop that has just launched its yongsheng hua series. The shop offers fewer than 10 different preserved fresh flower designs, including single roses, roses with plush toys and heart-shaped boxes with yellow roses. The pricing is lower than other shops, with a single rose costing 99 yuan.

Address: Lobby, Hilton Hotel, 250 Huashan Road

Call 400-991-5018 or visit http://www.ehua-hang.com/ for details

Hua Li Store

This Shanghai-based online flower shop is a favorite of celebrities. Chinese American singer Coco Lee and Hong Kong actress Ada Choi are both regular customers. The shop provides a wide range of flower boxes for special occasions, including Valentine's Day, wedding anniversaries, Mother's Day, birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Made-to-order services are also available.

For more information and to place orders call 5278-0127 or visit the online store at http://hua.li/