Louis van Houtte

Louis Benoît van Houtte (1810–1876) was a Belgian horticulturist known for his contributions to botany and horticulture. He worked at the Jardin Botanique de Brussels from 1836 to 1838 and co-founded the journal *Flore des Serres et des Jardins de l'Europe* with Charles Lemaire and M. Scheidweiler, featuring over 2,000 colored plates across 23 volumes published between 1845 and 1883. Early in his career, van Houtte worked for the Belgian ministry of finance while devoting his leisure to botany at the botanical garden and private estates. He collaborated closely with notable figures like M. Parmentier and Knight Parthon de Von. In 1832, he co-founded *L'Horticulteur Belge*, a monthly magazine that included 119 hand-colored plates and engravings, reflecting Belgium's growing botanical expertise post-1830. Van Houtte established a shop selling seeds and garden tools and later founded the Ecole d'Horticulture in Ghent. He traveled extensively, including a 1834–36 expedition to Brazil with collector John Tweedie, where he gathered orchids for Parthon de Von and the Belgian King. His work led to significant achievements, such as cultivating the first Victoria Lily in Europe with Eduard Ortgies. In 1839, he partnered with Adolf Papeleu to establish a nursery near Ghent, leveraging his expertise in botany and business. By the 1870s, his nursery had expanded to 14 hectares with 50 greenhouses. Van Houtte's legacy is also seen in *Spiraea x vanhouttei*, the Bridalwreath Spiraea. Recognized with numerous honors, including membership in prominent societies and knighthoods from Spain, Belgium, Russia, and Brazil, van Houtte left a ...