Frederick Sander earned the nickname the "Orchid King" due to his
unrivaled success and dominance in the orchid trade during the "orchidelirium" of the Victorian era.
Several factors contributed to this regal title:
Royal Appointment: Queen Victoria, an orchid enthusiast, appointed Sander as her official "Royal Orchid Grower".
Vast Scale of Operation: He established a massive nursery in St. Albans, England, becoming the central figure in the European orchid trade. At one point, he reputedly had over twenty-three plant hunters collecting new orchid varieties for him from around the world.
Global Reach: He claimed to have an orchid from every part of the world in his collection and established an American branch in Summit, New Jersey to cater to that market.
Significant Publications: Sander published a major four-volume reference work titled Reichenbachia: Orchids Illustrated and Described, a masterpiece on every orchid variety, further solidifying his authority in the field.
Impact and Fame: His enterprise and the sheer volume of orchids he introduced and propagated brought him immense fame and cemented his legacy in horticultural history. The Vanda sanderiana(Waling-waling), considered the "Queen of Philippine flowers," was named in his honor by the eminent botanist H.G. Reichenbach.
Engaging an army of plant collectors all over the world, Sander filled his greenhouses with enormous shipments of orchids. Frequented by kings and nobles, he could even count the Pope as one of his many loyal customers.
But at what cost did Sander amass these valuable orchids? Plant hunting proved to be a very hazardous game to be involved in. The letters sent to Sander from his ‘travellers’ shed light on the dangerous practice.
After visiting Kew and mapping the route taken by previous collectors in his search for an elusive orchid, Sander sent the German plant collector, William Micholitz, on a hunt to the remote island of New Guinea. Here Micholitz was horrified by the ritual sacrifices of the native tribes. Fearing for his life, Micholitz collected all that he could before his retreat only for the ship carrying the plants to catch fire. Sanders simple reply? Return and recollect.
On his reluctant return, this time accompanied by an armed guard, Micholitz now found the jungles to be empty of the precious orchid. Searching for an alternative location, in the letter below Micholitz recounts his joy when he eventually stumbles upon the sought after flower, growing amongst human remains.
An Extract from letter sent from Micholitz to Sander, dated 1891. [Archive reference: Letters to Sander volume 11 folio 120. RBG Kew.] reads,
“I forgot my troubles when I saw the first on bare limestone between a great number of human skulls and bones. The natives do not bury their dead, but put them in a kind of coffin then place them on these solitary rocks when they stand along the shore...however, you need not be afraid I shall send you no bones or skulls with them”
Specimens collected on behalf of Sander are today held in the Herbarium collections at Kew, and his name is attached to many beautiful orchids. This important collection is now being repackaged meaning these fascinating letters will be available for researchers to view in our reading room.