Happy 227th Birthday!

David Landreth founded the oldest seed business still in existence in the U.S. in Philadelphia on January 7, 1784, five years before George Washington became the first President of the United States.  Years later, David Landreth II imported and introduced many varieties new to the U.S., including rare conifers, giant rhododendrons, kalmias and azaleas.  The Lewis and Clark expedition added to Landreth’s inventory, providing seed from wild fruits and vegetable seeds obtained from Native American tribes.

A recent letter from the company notes, “Landreth may be a small company, but it has a big heart and a gigantic historical presence in the horticultural world.  Landreth is America’s Company.  The legacy of heirloom flowers, vegetables and herbs it has given us and the horticultural knowledge it has taught us are our heritage – our American heritage.”