WEST CHICAGO, IL – PanAmerican Seed is pleased to announce it has purchased the Begonia product lines from Golden State Bulb Growers, one of the oldest growers and breeders of tuberous begonias in North America. The acquisition includes genetics of released varieties, breeding rights and seed bank, intellectual property, and marketing assets for the commercial AmeriHybrid® and On Top® begonia product lines.
“The begonia class continues to grow in popularity among consumer and landscape markets. This investment to build on our PanAmerican Seed begonia offering will widen our reach in this important segment of the industry,” says Anne Leventry, President of PanAmerican Seed.
There are currently more than 50 AmeriHybrid varieties, which feature unique flower forms and plant habits. Golden State Bulb Growers (Moss Landing, Calif.) has bred begonias for over 100 years and has achieved many breakthroughs culminating in very unique, free flowering, multi-branched plants, with some of the largest blooms on the market today.
“The achievements and innovation from years of our in-house begonia research is in good hands with the team at PanAmerican Seed,” says Walter Petuck, CEO of Golden State Bulb Growers, Inc.
The purchase was complete in late-December. Products will be available from PanAmerican Seed distribution partners beginning in April 2018. Visit www.panamseed.com with more details to come.
About PanAmerican Seed
PanAmerican Seed is an internationally renowned breeder and producer based in West Chicago, Illinois, that produces high-quality and best-performing flower varieties, including Super Elfin® impatiens, Matrix® pansies and our award-winning series of Wave® petunias. Research facilities in North and South America, the Pacific Rim and Europe enable us to test and evaluate new varieties under numerous climatic conditions. Our state-of-the-art seed distribution center guarantees quick, efficient processing of orders for our worldwide customers. For more information, visit panamseed.com.
About Golden State Bulb Growers
Golden State Bulb Growers (GSBG) is a fifth-generation family business. Since 1911 it has produced flower bulbs, including its Callafornia Callas, AmeriHybrid Begonias, Aloha Lily Eucomis and Caribbean Jewels Scilla. GSBG is a vertically integrated business and controls all aspects of production from breeding to the commercial introduction of new varieties. For more information, visit www.goldenstatebulb.com.
Source: PanAmerican Seed