A prefecture government in Northeast China has threatened heavy fines for people who illegally harvest and sell wild rhododendrons after a surge in online sales led to a large number of the flowers being cut or pulled up.

Azaleas, which are well-known in China, are one species of rhododendron.

Almost 200 stores sell rhododendron cuttings on Taobao, an online marketplace, with prices for a small bundle ranging from 10 to 30 yuan ($1.50 to $4).

The cuttings produce purple petals and flower for up to four weeks when placed in water, according to descriptions by vendors. Some even claim rhododendrons have air-purifying qualities.

A newspaper in Heilongjiang province's Daxing'anling prefecture, where many of the flowers originate, reported that one Taobao shop alone had sold more than 190,000 cuttings in a single month this year.

However, the rush to harvest the wildflowers has resulted in scenes of devastation. Footage shared on social media showed a road in Daxing'anling carpeted with discarded cuttings, with many pulled up by the roots.

The prefecture government has released regulations to step up inspections on areas where the flowers grow, and highlighted penalties for people who illegally harvest or sell them.

"We have noticed the mass illegal cutting of wild rhododendron flowers to be sold online this year and we have taken strict measures to tackle the problem," said Lyu Jianzhao, a government spokesman.

Lyu said a local ban has been placed on mailing rhododendron cuttings, while teams from the environmental protection, forestry and commerce authorities will be sent to check local stores that stock them.

Offenders will be fined up to 10 times the amount they make from selling the plants, Lyu said, adding that no penalties had been issued so far.

Zhu Ning, a professor at Northeast Forestry University, said wild rhododendrons grow about 10 centimeters a year and cannot recover quickly from being chopped down en masse.

"The booming business for these flowers must have triggered mass cutting, which is devastating for these beautiful flowers. There should be strict controls to stop the harvesting and selling before it's too late," Zhu said.

Although wild rhododendrons are not included in the national list of protected species, any exploitation of them needs approval from the authorities, according to Zhang Shusen, head of wild animal and plant protection at the Heilongjiang Forestry and Industry Bureau.

A spokesman for Taobao, who did not want to be identified, said that without protected status it is hard to control online sales of wild rhododendrons. However, he added, the company will look into introducing measures soon.

Contact the writers at zhengjinran@chinadaily.com.cn