Haricots - Plantes potagères Vilmorin-Andrieux et Cie

Pierre-Philippe-André Levêque de Vilmorin (November 30, 1776 - March 21, 1862), more commonly known as Philippe André de Vilmorin, was a notable French

horticulturist Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

. Vilmorin was the oldest son of Philippe-Victoire Levêque de Vilmorin (1746-1804), founder of a commercial agricultural establishment, studied at the college of Pont-le-Voy and subsequently Paris, and became the company's head upon his father's death. His travels to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

in 1810, 1814, and 1816 allowed him to see first-hand the advances in English plant cultivation for

horticulture Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

and

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

, and furthered his active interest in cereals,

vegetable Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, ...

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. ...

, and ornamental and exotic plants. The London Society of Horticulture presented him with its grand medal in 1814 for his numerous articles on these subjects. In 1815 Vilmorin established Vilmorin-Andrieux et Cie, which ultimately became one of the world's largest suppliers of plants, and acquired a former hunting lodge of

Louis XIV of France , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of ...

just outside Paris, which he developed into the

Arboretum Vilmorin The Arboretum Vilmorin (4 hectares) is a private arboretum located at 2 rue d'Estienne d'Orves, Verrières-le-Buisson, Essonne, Île-de-France, France. It is open by appointment only. A newer portion of the family arboretum was acquired by the munic ...

. In 1821 he purchased the Domaine des Barres (283 hectares), upon which he created an experimental forest, parts of which have now become the

Arboretum national des Barres The Arboretum national des Barres (35 hectares) is a national arboretum located in Nogent-sur-Vernisson, Loiret, Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is open daily in the warmer months; an admission fee is charged. Closure is planned for the end of ye ...

. Vilmorin died at Barres on March 21, 1862.

References

* Gustave Heusé, ''Les Vilmorin (1746-1899): Philippe Victoire Levêque de Vilmorin (1746-1804); Pierre Philippe André Levêque de Vilmorin (1776-1862); Pierre Louis François Levêque de Vilmorin (1816-1860); Charles Philippe Henry Levêque de Vilmorin (1843-1899)'', Paris : Librairie agricole de la Maison rustique, 1899. *

Noel Kingsbury Noel Kingsbury is a British garden designer and writer on gardening, plant sciences and related topics. He is best known for his promotion of naturalistic planting design in gardens and designed landscapes (e.g. the 1996 publication of 'The New ...

: ''Breeding a dynasty — The Vilmorin family'' In; ''Hybrid: The History and Science of Plant Breeding'' University of Chicago Press, 2009, {{DEFAULTSORT:Vilmorin, Philippe Andre de French horticulturists 1776 births 1862 deaths French foresters Place of birth missing 19th-century agronomists 18th-century agronomists

See also

References