Ambroise Verschaffelt

Ambroise Colette Alexandre Verschaffelt (11 December 1825 – 16 May 1886) was a distinguished Belgian horticulturist and author.

The Verschaffelts were a family of Belgian nurserymen specializing in Camellia, Azalea, and palms.

In 1854, Ambroise took over from Charles Lemaire "Le Jardin Fleuriste" which became "L'Illustration Horticole" in 1858.

He then retired but continued to be active on the botanical scene an acted at different occasions as a counselor to King Léopold II for his famous hothouses of Laeken.

Ambroise was vice-president of the Royal Society for Agriculture and Botany of Ghent; he obtained numerous medals and prizes in horticultural exhibitions in his own country as well as in the United Kingdom (Cheltenham 1853, London 1861), Russia (Saint Petersburg 1869) and other countries.

A plate of Camellia Principessa Rospigliosi from Nouvelle Iconographie volume 4 (1853)
The Verschaffelt nursery in Ghent (1854).