Burpee Seeds and Plants
An American seed and live-plant company known for mail-order gardening, vegetable varieties, flower breeding, and home-gardening products.
Last updated October 16, 2026
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Overview
Burpee Seeds and Plants, formally W. Atlee Burpee & Co., is an American horticultural company founded in Philadelphia in 1876 by Washington Atlee Burpee. It began in the mail-order trade and expanded from poultry and farm supplies into garden seeds after customers asked the company to provide seeds from crops grown on their home farms. The business developed a large catalog and freight operation, helping make the distribution of vegetable and flower seeds directly to household gardeners a central part of its identity. A major foundation of Burpee's long-term breeding work was Fordhook Farm in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, established in 1888 as a family farm and crop-testing site. Burpee used the property to evaluate varieties gathered in Europe and elsewhere for their suitability to North American growing conditions. The farm became associated with experimental horticulture and later with varieties including Iceberg lettuce and the Big Boy tomato. Burpee's work also intersected with the broader history of American plant breeding: Luther Burbank visited Fordhook Farm in 1900, and the company subsequently maintained additional testing and research activity, including work in California. After Washington Atlee Burpee died in 1915, his son David Burpee took control. David promoted victory gardens during the First World War, strengthened the company's flower business, and directed hybridization programs intended to create improved ornamental varieties. Under his leadership, Burpee's catalogs became important sales and educational tools, combining color illustrations, organized product listings, growing information, and the assurance associated with the slogan “Burpee's Seeds Grow.” The company also experimented with plant genetics, including the use of X-rays and colchicine in breeding work. In 1949 it introduced Big Boy, a hybrid tomato that became one of the company's best-known and most commercially successful varieties. The company changed ownership several times in the later twentieth century. David Burpee sold it to General Foods in 1970, and Burpee moved from North Philadelphia to Warminster in 1974. General Foods sold the business to ITT in 1979. During the 1970s, Burpee introduced seed-starting kits aimed at inexperienced gardeners, while its traditional mail-order model increasingly faced competition from garden centers and chain stores. Smaller home gardens, changing consumer preference toward live plants, and management difficulties contributed to declining sales. Investors associated with McKinsey & Co. purchased Burpee in 1987. George Ball, Inc. bought the company in 1991 and pursued a more diversified retail and product strategy. The company expanded its selection of unusual varieties, emphasized plants as well as seeds, opened company retail stores around 2000, and developed its online store. Ball also repurchased Fordhook Farm in 1998 and renovated it as a horticultural center. Burpee's seed production has been described as taking place almost entirely in California. In March 2019, James Mattikow became president and chief executive officer. Burpee remains associated with direct-to-consumer gardening, annual catalogs, online ordering, vegetable and flower seeds, live plants, gardening supplies, and branded varieties. Its history combines catalog retailing, plant breeding, home-gardening education, and the commercialization of distinctive horticultural products. The company is especially known for the Big Boy tomato and for its long effort to develop a white marigold, a project that culminated in 1975 with the recognition of Iowa gardener Alice Vonk's entry as Burpee's Best Whites.
History
Washington Atlee Burpee established W. Atlee Burpee & Co. in Philadelphia in 1876. The business initially operated in mail-order commerce, including poultry and farm-related goods, but customer demand led it into seeds, garden tools, and other horticultural supplies. In 1888, Burpee established Fordhook Farm in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, as a family farm and testing ground. The company used the site to assess imported and domestically developed seed varieties against North American growing conditions. Fordhook became a significant part of Burpee's identity and was later associated with important varieties and horticultural experimentation. Burpee's catalog business expanded substantially around the turn of the twentieth century. The company collected and tested plant material from Europe and other regions, then distributed seed through catalogs and freight channels. Luther Burbank visited Fordhook Farm in 1900, an encounter that reflected the farm's role in the emerging culture of American plant experimentation. Burpee later maintained additional research activity, including a California station established in 1909. When the founder died in 1915, his son David Burpee inherited the company. David promoted victory gardens during the First World War and placed greater emphasis on flowers and hybridization. The company refined its catalogs with color illustrations, category-based organization, growing guidance, and ordering information. It also investigated genetic techniques using X-rays and colchicine. After Luther Burbank's death in 1926, Burpee acquired rights to his experiments, although the company did not produce notable commercial varieties from that work. Burpee introduced the Big Boy tomato in 1949, and the hybrid became a major seller. The company also pursued ambitious flower-breeding projects. David Burpee began working in 1919 to create a marigold with a white flower, addressing the limited color range and other perceived shortcomings of existing marigolds. Burpee formally announced a $10,000 competition in its 1954 catalog. In 1975, Alice Vonk's entry was selected after she had saved seed from the lightest flowers in her garden for more than twenty years. Burpee marketed the result as Burpee's Best Whites. Ownership changed in 1970, when David Burpee sold the company to General Foods. Burpee moved to Warminster, Pennsylvania, in 1974 and was acquired by ITT in 1979. The company introduced seed-starting kits during the 1970s, but its traditional business encountered pressure from smaller gardens, changing shopping habits, chain-store competition, and operational difficulties. Investors associated with McKinsey & Co. purchased Burpee in 1987. George Ball, Inc. acquired Burpee in 1991. Under Ball ownership, the company expanded its plant assortment, added unusual varieties, opened retail stores around 2000, and developed its online store. In 1998, Ball bought Fordhook Farm and renovated it as a horticultural center. Burpee's seed production became concentrated almost entirely in California. James Mattikow was appointed president and CEO in 2019. The contemporary brand continues to serve home gardeners through seeds, live plants, catalogs, online commerce, and related gardening products.
- 2019
James Mattikow becomes president and CEO
[1]James Mattikow was named president and chief executive officer of the company.
- 1998
Fordhook Farm restored as horticultural center
[1]Ball purchased Fordhook Farm and renovated the historic property for horticultural use.
- 1991
Acquired by George Ball, Inc.
[1]George Ball, Inc. acquired Burpee and began broadening its products, retail activities, and digital commerce.
- 1987
Purchased by new investors
[1]After sales declines and management difficulties, Burpee was purchased for $15 million by investors associated with McKinsey & Co.
- 1979
Acquired by ITT
[1]ITT acquired Burpee; David Burpee remained involved as a consultant until his death in 1980.
- 1975
White marigold recognized
[1]Alice Vonk's entry won the white-marigold competition after decades of home selection and was branded Burpee's Best Whites.
- 1974
Headquarters moved to Warminster
[1]Burpee moved from North Philadelphia to its Warminster, Pennsylvania, location.
- 1970
Acquired by General Foods
[1]David Burpee sold the company to General Foods for $10 million.
- 1954
White marigold competition announced
[1]Burpee announced a catalog competition seeking a genuinely white marigold and offered a $10,000 prize.
- 1949
Big Boy tomato introduced
[1]Burpee launched the Big Boy hybrid tomato, which became one of its best-selling and most recognizable varieties.
Products and positioning
A heritage American gardening brand positioned around reliable seeds, distinctive vegetable and flower varieties, direct-to-consumer ordering, and practical support for home gardeners.
Seeds · 1876
Vegetable seeds
Vegetable seeds are a core part of Burpee's catalog and online assortment. The company has historically offered common home-garden crops alongside selected and hybrid varieties, with product distribution supported by growing instructions and catalog descriptions intended for household gardeners.
Seeds
Flower seeds
Burpee's flower business expanded substantially under David Burpee through hybridization and selection programs. The range includes annual and ornamental flowers, and the company's breeding history is especially associated with marigolds and efforts to broaden flower colors and improve garden performance.
Vegetable variety · 1949
Big Boy tomato
Introduced in 1949, Big Boy is a Burpee hybrid tomato that quickly became a leading seller. It is one of the varieties most closely associated with the Burpee name and illustrates the company's emphasis on commercially distinctive home-garden crops.
Flower variety · 1975
Burpee's Best Whites marigold
Burpee's Best Whites was the branded result of a long-running effort to produce a marigold with a pure-white appearance. The project began with David Burpee's breeding ambitions in 1919 and culminated in recognition of Alice Vonk's selected flower in 1975.
Gardening supplies · 1970
Seed-starting kits
Burpee introduced seed-starting kits during the 1970s to make growing plants from seed more accessible to beginners. The kits extended the brand beyond seed packets into equipment and guidance for starting plants at home.
Plants
Live plants
Under later ownership, Burpee increased its emphasis on live plants as home gardeners increasingly purchased established plants through garden centers and mail order. Live offerings complement the company's seed business and are sold through direct and online channels.
Marketing campaigns
- 1954White Marigold Competition
United States
Burpee used its catalog to invite gardeners to develop a genuinely white marigold, offering a $10,000 prize. The initiative turned a breeding objective into a national consumer-facing horticultural campaign. Alice Vonk's entry was recognized in 1975 and marketed as Burpee's Best Whites.
Outcome. Alice Vonk's entry was recognized in 1975 and marketed as Burpee's Best Whites.
- 1917Victory garden promotion
United States
David Burpee was an early promoter of victory gardens during the First World War, connecting the company's seed business with household food production and wartime gardening. The campaign reinforced Burpee's role in home gardening and seed distribution.
Outcome. The campaign reinforced Burpee's role in home gardening and seed distribution.
Brand decisions
1998
Fordhook Farm restoredStrategyBackground
Fordhook Farm had been central to Burpee's breeding history, but experimentation and seed production had moved away from the site.
Action taken
George Ball, Inc. purchased and renovated Fordhook Farm as a horticultural center.
Aftermath
The property continued to serve as a physical link to Burpee's historic breeding and testing activities.
1991
Diversification under George Ball, Inc.StrategyBackground
Burpee faced pressure from smaller gardens, chain-store competition, and consumer preference for established plants rather than seeds.
Action taken
George Ball, Inc. expanded unusual varieties and live plants, opened retail stores around 2000, and developed the online store.
Aftermath
The brand retained its catalog heritage while adding retail and digital channels.
1974
Relocation to WarminsterStrategyBackground
The company operated from North Philadelphia during its earlier mail-order period.
Action taken
Burpee moved its headquarters to Warminster, Pennsylvania.
Aftermath
Warminster became the company's continuing headquarters location.
1970
Sale to General FoodsM&ABackground
David Burpee ended direct family ownership after decades of operating the company as a seed and plant business.
Action taken
The company was sold to General Foods.
Aftermath
Burpee later changed hands again, being acquired by ITT in 1979.
Acquisition price. $10 million (1970)
1970
Seed-starting kits introducedProduct launchBackground
Burpee sought to address the needs of less experienced home gardeners and extend its offering beyond packets of seed.
Action taken
The company introduced kits for starting seeds.
Aftermath
The kits became an example of Burpee's effort to make seed growing more approachable.
Recent events
- 2019
James Mattikow named president and CEO[1]
Leadership change
James Mattikow was appointed president and chief executive officer of Burpee in March 2019.
- 1975
Burpee's white marigold competition concludes[1]
Other
Alice Vonk of Iowa received the company's white-marigold prize after more than two decades of selecting and replanting progressively paler flowers.
- 1949
Burpee introduces Big Boy tomato[1]
Product launch
The company introduced the Big Boy hybrid tomato, which quickly became a leading seller and a signature Burpee variety.
Sources1 sources
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