The Story Behind the Orchid: Singapore and Indonesia's Shared National Flower | Art Me Diell

The Story Behind the Orchid: Singapore and Indonesia's Shared National Flower | Art Me Diell

By Safira Djati, Founder of Art Me Diell

There are flowers you admire from a distance. And then there are flowers that follow you through countries, through memories, through the things you make with your hands.

For me, that flower is the orchid.

I grew up in Indonesia and have built my life in Singapore. Two countries, two cultures, two places I carry with me every day. And somehow, the orchid has always been there in both: quietly connecting the two worlds I call home.

The Orchid in Singapore

The orchid is the national flower of Singapore. Specifically, the Vanda Miss Joaquim, a hybrid orchid first discovered in a garden in Tanjong Pagar in the 1890s. It was chosen as Singapore's national flower in 1981, selected for its resilience, its ability to bloom in all seasons, and its hybrid nature: a flower born from two different origins (two parent orchid species: Vanda hookeriana and Vanda teres), thriving beautifully as one.

I've always found that deeply meaningful. A flower chosen to represent a nation precisely because it came from more than one place.

Singapore's National Orchid Garden at the Botanic Gardens is one of the largest orchid collections in the world: home to over 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids. Walking through it never gets old. Every visit reminds me why this flower feels so alive, so endlessly varied, so quietly magnificent. One of the visits I did was with my parents when they came to visit me in Singapore. My mom really loved the orchids and it was a a really memorable trip for her. She is still recovering from her health issues and I do hope I can visit the garden again with her soon. :)

The Orchid in Indonesia

In Indonesia, the orchid holds an equally honoured place. The Moon Orchid (Phalaenopsis amabilis) known locally as Anggrek Bulan, is Indonesia's national flower, designated in 1990 alongside two others. Pure white, elegant, and delicate, it grows naturally across the Indonesian archipelago, from Sumatra to Papua.

The Moon Orchid represents grace, beauty, and the quiet strength of something that blooms without needing to announce itself. In Indonesian culture, orchids are associated with love, refinement, and the kind of beauty that endures.

I learned early that beauty isn't always loud. Sometimes it's a white petal catching light in a garden. Sometimes it's something you almost walk past before it stops you.

Two Countries, One Flower

What moves me most about the orchid is not that Singapore and Indonesia both chose it as a national symbol, though that alone feels quietly significant. What moves me is what the orchid represents in both places: resilience, grace, and the ability to thrive across different soils, different climates, different conditions.

That feels true to my own story. Growing up Indonesian, building a life in Singapore, drawing from both cultures in everything I create -- I am, in my own small way, a little like the orchid. Rooted in one place, blooming in another, shaped by both.

Making the move to another country was not an easy decision. Living life in a totally new environment was definitely challenging for me, especially in the beginning. That is why 'resilience' is the word that I keep holding on to, as a reminder for myself that I can bloom wherever I go, as long as I work hard for my dream life and be gentle to myself.

Why the Orchid Found Its Way Into My Work

When I sat down to design Art Me Diell's first collection, I wasn't looking for a symbol. I was just drawing what I love. And what I kept drawing, almost without thinking, was flowers, especially orchid.

White petals. Green leaves. The way the flowers cluster together, generous and unhurried.

The Orchid Elegance collection grew from those early sketches. Table runners and placemats hand-illustrated with the flower that has followed me across two countries and two chapters of my life. It felt right to bring it to the dining table: the place where people gather, share food, and connect. The orchid belongs there too.

Every time I see it printed on linen, I think about Singapore and Indonesia, about resilience and grace, about the beauty of belonging to more than one place at once. 🌸

A Final Thought

The next time you see an orchid -- in a garden, in a market, at someone's table -- I hope you look at it a little differently. Not just as a beautiful flower, but as a living connection between places, between people, between stories.

That's what flowers do, when you pay attention. They carry more than you expect. 

The Orchid Elegance collection: table runners and placemats hand-illustrated by Safira Djati is available at artmediell.com

Every Art Me Diell purchase supports Saung Abah Sahro, an educational community in Garut, West Java, and Yayasan Bustanul Aitam, an orphanage in Pidie Jaya, Aceh, Indonesia.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the national flower of Singapore? Singapore's national flower is the Vanda Miss Joaquim, a hybrid orchid first discovered in the 1890s. It was chosen in 1981 for its resilience, year-round blooming, and hybrid origins, qualities that reflect Singapore's own story as a nation.

What is the national flower of Indonesia? Indonesia has three national flowers. The Moon Orchid (Phalaenopsis amabilis), or Anggrek Bulan, is one of them, designated on World Environment Day in 1990 and formalised by Presidential Decree in 1993. Pure white and naturally occurring across the Indonesian archipelago, it represents grace, elegance, and quiet strength. The other two national flowers of Indonesia are Sambac Jasmine (Jasminum sambac) or Melati Putih, and Giant Rafflesia (Rafflesia arnoldii) or Padma Raksasa Rafflesia. 

Where can I see orchids in Singapore? The National Orchid Garden at Singapore Botanic Gardens is the best place to see orchids in Singapore. It is home to over 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids, making it one of the largest orchid collections in the world. Singapore Botanic Gardens is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

What does the orchid symbolise? Across many cultures, orchids symbolise beauty, love, strength, and refinement. In Singapore and Indonesia specifically, orchids carry national significance: representing resilience, grace, and the ability to flourish across diverse conditions.

What inspired the Orchid Elegance collection by Art Me Diell? The Orchid Elegance collection was hand-illustrated by Art Me Diell founder Safira Djati, who grew up in Indonesia and lives in Singapore. The orchid felt like a natural choice: the national flower of both countries she calls home, and a symbol of connection, resilience, and beauty across cultures.

Published on The Diell Journal · Art Me Diell · artmediell.com

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