Edmond Albius

Edmond Albius
Portrait of Edmond Albius, circa 1863
Bornc. 1829
Died9 August 1880 (aged 50–51)
Sainte-Suzanne, Réunion
OccupationHorticulturist
Known forinventing vanilla pollination technique

Edmond Albius (c. 1829 – 9 August 1880)[1] was a horticulturalist from Réunion. Born into slavery, Albius became an important figure in the cultivation of vanilla.[2] At the age of 12, he invented a technique for pollinating vanilla orchids quickly and profitably. Albius's technique revolutionized the cultivation of vanilla and made it possible to profitably grow Vanilla planifolia away from its native habitat (Mexico to Brazil[3]).

  1. ^ "Edmond Albius, the Slave who launched the Vanilla Industry". African Heritage. 15 November 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  2. ^ "The Little Boy Who Should've Vanished, but Didn't". Science. 16 June 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  3. ^ POWO (2023). "Vanilla planifolia Andrews". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 4 March 2023.

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