Piet de Jong

Petrus Cornelis (Piet) de Jong (born 24 March 1938 in Hazerswoude) is a Dutch dendrologist.

He was the scientific director of the Utrecht University Botanic Gardens and worked as a researcher at the Station for Nursery Stock at Boskoop. He is considered one of the world authorities on Acer, the maples.

Biography

Piet de Jong was born in Bent, a hamlet halfway between Hazerswoude and Zoeterwoude. He was a farmer's son, the oldest in a family of six children. When he was seven, he started growing plants. He went to primary school at Hazerswoude, then to the gymnasium in Leiden.

In 1960, he started his studies at Wageningen University and Research Centre - which was called 'Landbouwhogeschool' (Agricultural College) in those days. He got a degree in horticultural plant breeding, with optional courses in (botanical) systematics and phytogeography, plant anatomy and virology. Afterwards, he did biosystematic research on Acer in the Laboratory of botanical systematics and phytogeography. He had been involved in research on the flowering of maples before he got his degree.

After his retirement De Jong is still actively involved with the Von Gimborn Arboretum.