Henrick Witte

Born in Rotterdam on May 10, 1829, Heinrich Witte — also written as Henrick Witte — became a Dutch botanist, horticulturist, and prolific publicist. He worked at the Hortus Botanicus in Leiden, where he was appointed first gardener in 1853 and later became hortulanus, a leading position in the garden's care and development.

Witte wrote widely about plants, gardening, and outdoor life. His work included practical books for general readers, such as Beknopte handleiding voor eigenaars van kleine tuinen, as well as botanical and horticultural publications. He also founded and edited Sieboldia, a weekly journal devoted to horticulture in the Netherlands, showing how strongly he cared about sharing knowledge beyond academic circles.

Later in life, he lived in Bennekom, where he died on January 9, 1917. Today he is remembered both as a working botanist and as a writer who helped bring the pleasures of gardening and plant study to a wider public.