Edward August Von Regal

Today is the birthday of the Russian botanist Edward August Von Regal, who was born on this day in 1815.

Regal was born in Switzerland - but he lived most of his life in Russia.
Regal worked in a number of botanical gardens, including gardens in Germany and Switzerland.
In 1852, he founded the magazine, Garten Flora, where he described all the new species he had encountered.
By 1855, Regal made his final move to Saint Petersburg, where he made his home.
He oversaw the imperial botanical garden, and he even started a Russian gardening society, as well as a number of journals.
Regal was a very hands-on botanist. When he went to St. Petersburg, he immediately addressed the setup and the level of excellence. He changed how all the plants were arranged and rebuilt the greenhouses (most of which were heated by hot water). Regal loved to arrange plants in groups based on geography. For instance, he would have an area for plants of St. Petersburg, and an area for the plants of Siberia, and an area for the plants of North America, and so on.
And if you’re a fan of Curtis's botanical magazine, which was started by William Curtis (who was employed at Kew), you’ll appreciate knowing that volume 111 is dedicated to Edward August van Regal.