Robert Sweet (botanist)

Robert Sweet (1783 – 1835) was an English botanist, horticulturalist and nurseryman.

Sweet was born in Cockington, near Torquay, Devon. He started his career as a nurseryman, working in various nurseries, including those of James Donn in Cambridge and subsequently at Colvill’s nursery in Chelsea. He became known for his knowledge of cultivated plants, particularly Geraniaceae and Cistaceae.

He authored several botanical and horticultural publications, frequently with hand-colored plates. His works are characterized by detailed descriptions and classifications of plants cultivated in British gardens and greenhouses. Notable publications include:

• Hortus Suburbanus Londinensis (1818)
• Geraniaceae (1820-1830), a multi-volume work devoted to the Geranium family.
• Cistineae (1825-1830), a comprehensive study of the Cistus genus.
• Flora Australasica (1827-1828), describing plants from Australia.
• Sweet's Hortus Britannicus (1826-1827), a comprehensive catalogue of plants cultivated in British gardens, which went through several editions.

He was elected a fellow of the Linnean Society of London. Sweet's work contributed significantly to the understanding and documentation of cultivated plants in the early 19th century. The plant genus Sweetea (now synonymous with Aotus) was named in his honor.