This is an exceptional recognition for this enthusiast and for Rochefort's horticultural know-how, now recognized internationally. Patrick Rose, director of the Rochefort Begonia Conservatory, oversees a collection of 1,800 botanical taxa and hybrids, the largest in Europe.
His expertise, built on-site and through international exchanges, covers the history, particularities, and conservation and cultivation techniques of this diverse botanical genus, with approximately 2,200 species recorded worldwide.
Last May, Patrick Rose participated in the American Begonia Society convention in Fort Worth, Texas. The association covered his participation and travel, demonstrating the particular interest in his expertise and the Rochefort collection.
Don Miller, the association's Texas representative, had discovered the Conservatory in 2018 and wished to invite Patrick Rose after a second visit in October 2025. Addressing an international audience, Patrick Rose recounted the history of the begonia and shared his 40 years of experience.
This intervention highlighted the historical link between Rochefort and the begonia, named in 1690 by Charles Plumier in honor of Michel Bégon, then naval intendant in Rochefort. The city continues to keep this botanical history alive, and Patrick Rose's expertise now shines far beyond French borders.
