Carl Ludwig Sprenger was a German botanist, born on 30 November 1846 at Güstrow, Mecklenburg and died 13 December 1917 on the island of Corfu (Kérkyra).[1]
Sprenger lived in Naples from 1877 to 1907, and was a partner in the horticultural house of Dammann & Co. of San Giovanni a Teduccio, Naples, Italy. David Fairchild praised Sprenger, "a brilliant botanist who had established a nursery ... he was one of those real plantsmen who both know the names of plants and how to grow them ... He enthusiastically collected seeds for botanical gardens and freely gave of his knowledge to others ... The eruption of Vesuvius on 4 April 1906 buried his plants under volcanic ash, destroying hundreds of his best specimens."[2]
In 1907, Kaiser Wilhelm (William II) purchased Achilleion, a palace in Corfu. Sprenger became supervisor of the Kaiser's garden.[2] He was also so responsible for the building of the bridge that led to the beach. It was then named Kaiser's bridge.[3]
Sprenger's life had no sound; Fairchild wrote that he was "very deaf". As a German national, he was imprisoned by the Serbs at the outbreak of the First World War, but after an intervention by the local administration of Corfu, they then let him go.[clarification needed]
He stayed in Corfu until his death some years later. The man who surrounded himself with plants died on 13 December 1917.
Plants named after him include:
Asparagus sprengeri, Sprenger's asparagus (now Asparagus aethiopicus), a weed native to South Africa.[4]
Sprenger concluded that by constantly interbreeding the large flowered Crozy canna varieties nothing novel or more remarkable could be secured, and he therefore experimented with some new blood, employing for this purpose Canna flaccida, a species from the southern USA, of medium height and large flowers, with one specially developed petal-like staminode. The result was what became known as the 'orchid' cannas or the 'Italian' cannas, when in 1893 he introduced Canna 'Italia' and Canna 'Austria'.[8] At the same time, Luther Burbank in the USA was pursuing a similar approach, the results of which were introduced some two years later than Sprenger's introductions.[9]
Sprenger is credited with many Italian Group introductions[10] and also released many new Crozy Group cultivars.[10]
Other cultivars he developed include many Yucca hybrids in the years from 1897 to 1907.[11]
Mitteilungen über meine Yucca-Hybriden und -Formen, gezüchtet in den Jahren 1897-1907.
March 11, 2023
carl, ludwig, sprenger, german, botanist, born, november, 1846, güstrow, mecklenburg, died, december, 1917, island, corfu, kérkyra, born, 1846, november, 1846güstrow, mecklenburg, germanydied13, december, 1917, 1917, aged, corfu, greecenationalitygermanknown, . Carl Ludwig Sprenger was a German botanist born on 30 November 1846 at Gustrow Mecklenburg and died 13 December 1917 on the island of Corfu Kerkyra 1 Carl Ludwig SprengerBorn 1846 11 30 30 November 1846Gustrow Mecklenburg GermanyDied13 December 1917 1917 12 13 aged 71 Corfu GreeceNationalityGermanKnown forCollected seeds for botanical gardensScientific careerFieldsBotanyAuthor abbrev botany SprengerCanna Italian Group Austria Sprenger 1893 Sprenger lived in Naples from 1877 to 1907 and was a partner in the horticultural house of Dammann amp Co of San Giovanni a Teduccio Naples Italy David Fairchild praised Sprenger a brilliant botanist who had established a nursery he was one of those real plantsmen who both know the names of plants and how to grow them He enthusiastically collected seeds for botanical gardens and freely gave of his knowledge to others The eruption of Vesuvius on 4 April 1906 buried his plants under volcanic ash destroying hundreds of his best specimens 2 In 1907 Kaiser Wilhelm William II purchased Achilleion a palace in Corfu Sprenger became supervisor of the Kaiser s garden 2 He was also so responsible for the building of the bridge that led to the beach It was then named Kaiser s bridge 3 Sprenger s life had no sound Fairchild wrote that he was very deaf As a German national he was imprisoned by the Serbs at the outbreak of the First World War but after an intervention by the local administration of Corfu they then let him go clarification needed He stayed in Corfu until his death some years later The man who surrounded himself with plants died on 13 December 1917 Plants named after him include Asparagus sprengeri Sprenger s asparagus now Asparagus aethiopicus a weed native to South Africa 4 Magnolia sprengeri Sprenger s magnolia a species of magnolia native to China 5 6 Iris sprengeri a species of iris native to Turkey 7 Cultivars Edit Canna Italian Group Italia Sprenger 1893 Sprenger concluded that by constantly interbreeding the large flowered Crozy canna varieties nothing novel or more remarkable could be secured and he therefore experimented with some new blood employing for this purpose Canna flaccida a species from the southern USA of medium height and large flowers with one specially developed petal like staminode The result was what became known as the orchid cannas or the Italian cannas when in 1893 he introduced Canna Italia and Canna Austria 8 At the same time Luther Burbank in the USA was pursuing a similar approach the results of which were introduced some two years later than Sprenger s introductions 9 Sprenger is credited with many Italian Group introductions 10 and also released many new Crozy Group cultivars 10 Other cultivars he developed include many Yucca hybrids in the years from 1897 to 1907 11 The standard author abbreviation Sprenger is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name 12 See also EditList of Canna cultivars List of Canna species List of Canna hybridistsReferences Edit John Hendley Barnhart 1965 Biographical Notes upon Botanists G K Hall amp Co Boston a b David Fairchild The World was My Garden Kaizer Bridge in Corfu Greece Greeka com Greekacom Retrieved 6 November 2020 What s in a name Archived November 4 2006 at the Wayback Machine The Royal Horticultural Society Archived October 22 2007 at the Wayback Machine Photo of M sprengeri flowers Archived October 9 2007 at the Wayback Machine Iris sprengeri www rareplants co uk Retrieved 2 March 2020 Garden and Forest Volume 8 Issue 409 December 25 1895 511 520 Garden and forest Volume 9 Issue 432 June 3 1896 221 230 a b Arpad Muhle 1909 Das Geschlecht der Canna Benny s Kaktus International Plant Names Index Sprenger Further reading EditGarden and Forest Volume 8 Issue 409 December 25 1895 511 520 Henry John Elwes and Augustine Henry The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland Privately Published 1907 David Fairchild The World was My Garden Travels of a Plant Explorer Charles Scribner s Sons 1938 John Hendley Barnhart 1965 Biographical Notes upon Botanists G K Hall amp Co Boston Arpad Muhle 1909 Das Geschlecht der Canna Sprenger Carl Mitteilungen Deutschen Dendrol Gesell 29 96 138 pls 21 22 1920 Mitteilungen uber meine Yucca Hybriden und Formen gezuchtet in den Jahren 1897 1907 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Carl Ludwig Sprenger amp oldid 1058558649, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
