Seeds worth to be known...

History of the Vilmorin brand is exceptionally rich and interesting. Indelible stamp having been left 
for over two centuries by exquisite personalities from the field of agriculture and horticulture has 
made it the most recognisable brand in France. 
The beginnings of the Vilmorin legend go back to 1743, when Claude Geoffroy (Master of the 
Seed Trade) and Pierre d’Andrieux (court botanist of King Louis XIV of France) opened the store 
with seeds and plants named Coq de la Bonne Foy at Quai de la Mégisserie in Paris.

In 1774, their daughter Adelaide married Philippe-Victoire de Vilmorin. The couple inherited the 
store and established the company "Andrieux-Vilmorin” occupying with sales of all types of seeds 
of vegetables, perennial flowers and plants for medicine and pharmacy.

In 1776, Philippe-Victoire de Vilmorin perceived the necessity of promoting his products and thus 
he developed the list of all the goods available in his store. He distributed it among his customers, 
developing a pioneering catalogue of vegetable and flower seeds.

In the family museum in La Menitré, also other priceless examples 
of innovative actions aiming at popularisation of its offer may be seen: 
a unique set of daub fruit and vegetables, true copies of originals, 
and a collection of watercolours presenting all the flowers.
 
The entrepreneur strived also for popularisation of new plant species. Thanks to support of the then
scientists, such as Malesherbes and Andre Michaux, he managed to launch many tree and 
exotic plant species. Appearance of beetroot and turnip cabbage has been credited to him. 
 
Andre Thouin, a professor responsible for cultivation in the Parisian 
King’s Garden, named the seedling he had created the Vilmorin, “in honour 
of the family that rendered such a great service for agriculture, distributing 
many useful plants and teaching the ways of their cultivation”

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