Real Vanda Miss Joaquim flowers.

Singapore’s interest in orchids is so high that the nation has its own National Orchid Garden where approximately 3,000 species of rare and valuable orchids are on display. In 2018, President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook even attended an orchid naming ceremony in Singapore, a tradition during which a newly-cultivated orchid species is dubbed with the name of an important guest in a show of hospitality and courtesy.

Of course, Singapore’s national flower is also an orchid: a particular variety called Papilionanthe Miss Joaquim. Known popularly as Vanda Miss Joaquim, the orchid is a hybrid made by cross-pollinating Vanda teres with Vanda hookeriana. It derives its name from the name of its species and the name of horticulturist Agnes Joaquim who first bred the flower. Vanda Miss Joaquim was the first registered hybrid plant from Singapore. It tolerates a variety of climactic conditions and is characterized by the quality of its exceptional blooms.

In 1987, Vanda Miss Joaquim was certified as “first-class” by the Royal Horticultural Society of the UK, and on April 15, 1981, it was selected as Singapore’s national flower for its beauty, resilience, and ability to bloom year-round.

Vanda Miss Joaquim, National Flower of Singapore displayed on the second floor of the ASEAN Culture House’s permanent exhibition gallery.