Tenure as Founder of the Garden (1767- 1772)
Pierre Poivre can be considered as the founder and master mind behind the creation of the Botanical Garden.
In 1767, Pierre Poivre was the Intendant of Isle de France when he purchased the estate of Mon Plaisir with the intention of turning the simple garden attached to the estate into a botanical garden,
Pierre Poivre spent 5 years of relentless efforts and influence in order to introduce precious, ornamental and useful plants coming from the Asian, European and African continents into Isle de France.
The garden was designed to promote the cultivation of spices and to serve as a research centre for botany, showcasing Poivre’s commitment to enhancing the agricultural wealth of Isle de France through botanical exploration and cultivation.
Examples of plants collected by Pierre Poivre are the Dry Rice from Cochinchine, Nutmeg and cloves from Manilla, Tea from India, Indigo from Canton, Camelia from Japan, Olive from France amongst many other varieties of exotic plants and many species of palms.