Beautifully situated in the lovely Lower Saxon town of Hannoversch Münden, Germany, Ernst Benary Samenzucht GmbH is one of the big players in the international ornamentals industry. The company's goal, past and present, is to breed top quality varieties with high overall profitability. The cradle of new bedding and border plants, as it were, Benary's core business is developing seed-grown ornamentals on the basis of 165 years of built-up know-how.

Benary's breeding activities focus on tuberous and fibrous begonias, pansies, black-eyed Susan, and perennials. A wide range of more than 2,000 annual and biennial ornamentals and perennials are available to wholesalers and plug growers throughout the world, and each year Benary's team of plant breeders creates outstanding new varieties with professional seed quality.                                                                                                            

A highly qualified staff of almost 300 dedicate their work day after day to combining high quality standards with innovative cultivars to create premium products for ever-changing customer and market requirements. Operating worldwide, Benary's exports amount to 80%, with their markets being in the USA and Europe.

Within Europe, Germany is the largest national market, followed by the UK, Benelux and France. Other attractive growth markets for Benary include East Europe and Russia.

The future needs the past

Even Gregor Mendel used Benary seed to run his scientific experiments in 1873. And the famous Titanic carried valuable seed from the German breeding company on her passage to the US. As early as 100 years ago, Benary received worldwide recognition in the international market for breeding the first tetraploid F1 hybrid fibrous begonia 'Primadonna'. And with the epoch-making creation of the world's first orange pansy in 1974, 'Tangerine', the German company set a milestone in pansy breeding. 

In the new season, the company is once again in the news with its unique cultivars: 'BIG' is the name of the new hybrid begonia that stages a magnificent show of up to 8 cm large flowers. 'Joey' is the name given to the avant-garde Ptilotus exaltatus, which has its origins in Australia and is already an award winner.

Legend:                        
Proud Benaryans on their trial grounds

Legend:                       
The  two Benary managing directors Nick ten Pas and Dr. Matthias Redlefsen are all set to lead the company into a successful future.