As a child, a portrait hanging in my grandparents’ living room caught my eye. It fascinated me as much as it intimidated me: a serious-looking old man, frozen in a somber setting. I knew little about him, except that he had once studied plants and produced remarkable drawings. It was even said that some specimens he had brought back from his travels were preserved at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris.
Forty years later, while emptying the family home after my grandparents’ death, I recovered this portrait. Examining it more closely, my eyes were drawn to the books in the background. ‘Histoire Naturelle des Orangers ‘, ‘Traité des arbres fruitiers‘, ‘Cours d’horticulture‘, etc.
Who was this man really?
What I discovered led me from surprise to surprise: an extraordinary destiny, a passionate traveler, a self-taught scientist, a talented illustrator… A life that deserved to be told.
This site is an invitation to explore this story, to explore the expeditions, works, and discoveries of Pierre-Antoine Poiteau . Whether you are curious, a botany enthusiast, a history enthusiast, or simply a web explorer, I invite you to embark on a journey through time and continents.
Dive into the world of Poiteau and let yourself be surprised!
Here is the portrait that inspired my research:
Post scriptum: Why a pear as a symbol for this site? Because Poiteau spent his life studying plants in general and fruit in particular, and in 1827 a new species of pear was named “New Poiteau” in his honor.