Vanda Miss Joaquim is declared Singapore’s national flower

Then Minister for Culture, S. Dhanabalan, declared the orchid hybrid Vanda Miss Joaquim as Singapore’s national flower on 15 April 1981. To celebrate the announcement and showcase the new national symbol, a National Flower Week was launched on 20 July that same year.^[1]

The search for a national flower, which began in 1980, was part of the nation’s overall effort to foster pride and national identity.^[2] The search was led by the National Flower Selection Committee comprising representatives from the Ministry of Culture, the Parks and Recreation Department, the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board, the Singapore Institute of Standards and Research (SISIR) and the Orchid Society of South East Asia. Out of 40 orchids that were considered, two were short-listed as the national flower: the Arachnis hookeriana and Vanda Miss Joaquim.^[3] The latter was finally selected due to its resilience and year-round bloom quality.^[4] The Orchid Society of South East Asia had earlier adopted the particular orchid as its crest in 1957.^[5]

After Vanda Miss Joaquim was declared the national flower, there was a dearth of the orchid due to the sudden surge of interest.^[6] The shortage was in contrast to conditions before World War II when Vanda Miss Joaquim was the most popular orchid in Singapore grown in nearly every household with a garden.^[7] The orchid had good market value at the time and was Singapore’s leading cut flower for many years. The great success of the flower meant that “literally thousands upon thousands of plants” were growing in Singapore then.^[8]

The popularity of Vanda Miss Joaquim waned after the war due to the cultivation of new orchid hybrids. By the time the orchid gained prominence as the national flower, there were insufficient plants grown in Singapore. It was predicted that it would take two years after the orchid’s new-found fame before enough could be produced to meet the demand from hotels, businesses and the public.^[9]

References
1. Vanda Miss Joaquim the popular choice. (1981, April 16). The Straits Times, p. 12; Tiny Miss Joaquims plated in gold. (1981, July 17). The Straits Times, p. 9; Miss Joaquim lost in blaze of flowers at closing ceremony. (1981, July 27). The Straits Times, p. 11. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
2. The Straits Times, 16 Apr 1981, p. 12.
3. Alphonso, A. G. (1981). Singapore’s National Flower (Vanda Miss Joaquim). Malayan Orchid Review, 15, 9. Call no.: RSING 584.15 MOR v. 15–21 1981–1987.
4. Hew, C. S., Yam, T. W., & Arditti, J. (2002). Biology of Vanda Miss Joaquim (p. 60). Singapore: Singapore University Press. Call no.: RSING 584.4095957 HEW.
5. Teoh, E. S. (1981). Viewpoint: Vanda Miss Joaquim National Flower of Singapore. Malayan Orchid Review, 15, 5. Call no.: RSING 584.15 MOR v. 15–21 1981–1987.
6. The Straits Times, 27 Jul 1981, p. 11.
7. Teoh, 1981. p. 5.
8. Alphonso, 1981, pp. 12-13.
9. Alphonso, 1981, pp. 12-13.