Benedikt Roezl (1823 to 1885)

The charming little Miltonia roezlii is in bloom again, smiling at me with its two dark eyes. This makes me think about the man for whom it was named, the plants-man and plant-hunter, Benedikt Roezl.

He was born in Prague, Tschechia and according to M. Reinikka’s “A History of Orchids”, Roezl’s life was filled with adventures involving plants – often orchids.

He began working as an apprentice gardener at the age of 12 years, moving up in his service at different famous European gardens, forever advancing his knowledge about plants. Eventually, he could not contain his curiosity about the tropics any longer and in 1854 he proceeded to Mexico, where he started a tree nursery and began collecting plants and seeds. He also invented a machine to clean hemp and cotton and during a demonstration of his patent, he lost his left arm. The iron hook which replaced his hand was a great source of wonder to the primitive natives in South America.

Just reading of Roezl’s travels and collections leaves one breathless. He was probably the most intrepid orchid collector that ever lived. Employed by the firm of Sander & Co. for 40 years, he traveled almost continually through the Americas during all that time. He was robbed 17 times, discovered over 800 new plants and trees and sent uncounted numbers of orchids back to Europe.

Several orchids were named in his honour: Dracula roezlii, Masdevallia roezlii, Miltoniopsis roezlii and Phragmipedium longifolium var. roezlii.

He went from Mexico to Cuba, from California to New York, traversing the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada numerous times. On he went to Panama and Columbia from where he forwarded 10,000 orchid plants to Europe. He went to Santa Martha and Rio Macha where he collected 3,000 Odontoglossums, back to Panama, San Francisco and Washington Territory, collecting conifer seed in the latter, then back to Southern California, Panama and Buenaventura, through the state of Cauca to Antiquoia, collecting vast quantities of Masdevallias, Miltonia vexillaria and Cattleya warcsewiczii. From there he went down the Magdalena River to Colon and back to Panama, through Northern Peru and across the Andes, back to Payta and Buenaventura, then to Europe for four months to visit his parents.

On August 3rd 1872, he left Liverpool again for New York and Colorado Territory, then to Mexico and the Central American Sierra Madre, sending back 3,500 more Odontoglossums, again to Panama and into St. Thomas, on to Havana and Vera Cruz, to New York, back to Panama and Peru, across the Andes to Larma and Chanchamayo, bringing back 10,000 various plants. Again he returned to Lima and Southern Peru, to Morienda, Arigipia and Lake Titicaca, across the Ilimani Mountains to the province of Yungas, back to Lima and Payla and again crossed the Andes to Guayaquil and the Valley of Cauca, and finally back to London. Practically all his travels were done on horseback or on foot.

Roezl was popular among orchid growers, particularly in England, but he retired to his beloved Prague, where, after his death, a statue was erected in his honour.

Ingrid Schmidt-Ostrander - Canadian Orchid Congress