Vilmorin-Andrieus: et (originally "Andrieux, le Sieur; 
later ”Andrieux et Vilmorin") 
The history of this firm has been given in considerable de¬ 
tail by both Gustave Heuz^, in Jour. Agr. Prat. 63(2):407-416 
(Sept.21,1899) (a); and W. Roberts, in Gard. Chron. (S) 71:54 : 
(Feb.4,1922). According to Roberts the firm goes back in one 
sense to the 17th century, as it absorbed the ancient business 
of the Sieur Le Febvre, which existed before 1692 on the Quai 
de la Megisserie, Paris* 
The actual founder of the present house was Pierre Geoffrey, 
who died Jvine 2, 172B, and whose daughter Claude married Pierre 
Andrieux, "Botaniste du roi Louis XV,” Adelaide, the daughter 
of Pierre Andrieux, was married July 14, 1774, to Philippe Vic- 
toire Leveque de Vilmorin (1746-1804), who had already been for 
some time associated in the business of Andrieux. Mr. Roberts 
infers from a broadside of 1769, signed 'Vilmorin-Andrieux," 
that this had already become the name of the firm. The broad¬ 
side refers to Vilmorin as "Gendre et unique successeur du feu 
Sr. Andrieux, pr^cedemment au coin de 1'Arche Marion, marchand 
grainier fleuriste et botaniste ordinaire du Roi.” According 
to HeuzS, however, the firm name became Andrieux et Vilmorin in 
1775, that is, after the marriage of Vilmorin with Adelaide 
Andrieux, and continued the same even after the death of Pierre 
Andrieux in 1779, down to July 1, 1780, when it became Vilmorin- 
Andrieux. Inasmuch as the broadside cited bj*- Roberts explicitly 
shows that Andrieux had died before Dec, 1, 1769, the date 1779 
given by Heuz4 for his death must have been due to a typograph¬ 
ical error, and Heuz4's further statement that a great maity" use¬ 
ful plants introduced by the firm and listed in Le Bon Jardinier 
between 1755 and 1778 were "publides par Andrieux” is incorrect 
vinless we mderstand the latter to have been merely the name of 
the firm.. That this was the case is amply proven by catalogues 
referring to the business under ”le sieur Andrieux” as late as 
1771, and "Andrieux et Vilm.orin'* in 1778, 
In 1779, according to Heuz6, the friendly relations between 
this firm and the explorer Andr4 Michaux, enabled Vilmorin to 
distribute a great many exotic North American trees. In 1793, 
Philippe Victoire de Vilmorin was one of a group of scientists 
who made a heroic but unsuccessful attempt to save the celebr^ 
ed P4pini^re de Chartreux, which occupied 38 hectares. 
The address on the broadside of 1769 cited by Roberts is ”Au 
Roi des Oiseaux, et d la renommde, ci-devant Au Coq de la Bonne 
Foy, Quai de la Megisserie.” HeuzA (p.410) says that the sign 
”Au Roi des Oiseaux” was used from 1747 to 1793, but during the 
Revolution it was changed to ”Au I'Oiseau National.” 
(a) Heuzd's article, "Les Vilmorin,” also appeared in Rev. 
Hort. 71:453-459 (1899), and was reprinted, Paris, 1899, 32 p. 
