[1] For its resilience and year-round blooming quality,[2] it was chosen on 15 April 1981 to represent Singapore's uniqueness and hybrid culture.

[3] In the June 1893 Gardeners' Chronicle, then scientific director of the Singapore Botanic Garden Henry Nicholas Ridley announced that a few years prior, Ashkhen Hovakimian (Agnes Joaquim), "...a lady residing in Singapore, well known for her success as a horticulturist, succeeded in crossing Vanda hookeriana Rchb.

"[4][5] A decorated horticulturalist from a family with a strong interest in plants, Joaquim won about 70 awards "...for cultivating varied specimens such as radishes, custard apples, dahlias and begonias in Singapore between 1881 and 1899,"[6] and Vanda Miss Joaquim would win first prize for the rarest orchid in a reportedly crowded field[7] at Singapore's 1899 Flower Show.

The large and board lip of the orchid which looks like a fan is colored violet-rose, and merges into a contrasting fiery orange that are finely spotted with dark purple center.

Papilionanthe 'Miss Joaquim' is a robust sun loving plant that requires heavy fertilizing, vertical support to enable it to grow straight and tall along with free air movement and high humidity.