David Austin

What David Austin does

David Austin Roses is a family-owned British rose breeder and nursery founded in 1961 by David C. H. Austin OBE, headquartered at Bowling Green Lane, Albrighton, Shropshire, UK. The company operates through two UK-incorporated entities — David Austin Roses Ltd. and David Austin Rose Nursery Ltd. — and holds the registered "English Roses" classification, the David Austin® trademark, and recognition as the National Collection of English Roses. Its proprietary hand-budding propagation technique, executed by skilled experts "millions of times each year," underpins a catalog of 400+ varieties spanning English Roses, Old Roses, climbing, rambling, shrub, standard tree, floribunda, and hybrid tea types, distributed in bare-root and potted formats.

The company runs a multi-channel retail operation. Its primary commercial interface is the Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront at davidaustinroses.co.uk, complemented by dedicated regional sites for the US, Europe, Japan, and Australia, a physical Plant Centre and Rose Gardens destination in Shropshire (free admission, ~4,000 roses across six themed gardens), a Wholesale/Professional Trade Services arm for landscapers, and on-site experiences including pruning workshops, afternoon tea, group visits, and corporate events at The Garden Room. Marketing spans content (blog, Rose Finder tool, annual Handbook of Roses catalog), email, paid social, and RHS Flower Show exhibitions (30 Chelsea Gold Medals plus a 2026 Badminton Gold Medal).

Revenue derives from one-time rose unit sales (potted £24-£38.50; bare root seasonally), gift cards (£20-£250), rose care accessories, workshops and dining experiences, wholesale supply, and event hire. Customers are predominantly individual home gardeners (primary segment), with secondary segments comprising gift buyers, professional gardeners/landscapers, and corporate group/event visitors. A 2026 partnership with The King's Foundation underpins the Sir David Beckham rose launch, with £2.50 per sale donated to the charity.

Name

David Austin

Legal name

David Austin Roses Ltd.

Website

https://davidaustinroses.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Family-owned British rose breeder and nursery founded in 1961, selling 400+ rose varieties via direct-to-consumer e-commerce and a Shropshire Plant Centre. Serves home gardeners, gift buyers, landscapers, and groups across the UK, US, Europe, Japan, and Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Garden Roses & Nursery

NAICS

Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (444240), Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114)

SIC

Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)

akta.pro primary industry

Plants, Seeds & Nursery Retail (Garden Centers) (CRAIAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Greenhouse Floriculture (Cut Flowers) (AFAGAHAD)

Keywords

• Rose breeding
• Garden plants
• Bare root roses
• English roses
• Rose nursery

Headquarters

HQ city

Albrighton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Rose Sales: Sale of potted and bare root roses in various varieties, including English Roses, climbing roses, rambling roses, shrub roses, and standard tree roses. Prices range from approximately £24 to £38.50 per rose plant.
2. Gift Cards: Sale of physical and e-gift cards with values ranging from £10 to £250, enabling recipients to choose their own roses.
3. Workshops: Pruning and bare root rose workshops offered at the Plant Centre, with practical demonstrations and complimentary roses included.
4. Afternoon Tea and Dining: Restaurant and café services offering homemade dishes using locally sourced ingredients, as well as afternoon tea experiences priced from £32 to £320.
5. Accessories and Gifts: Sale of rose care products (rose food, secateurs), gift items, homewares, and gardening books at the Plant Centre gift shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

David Austin Roses breeds, grows, and sells a catalog of over 400 rose varieties — including its signature English Roses, climbing, rambling, shrub, standard tree, old, floribunda, and hybrid tea roses — as bare root and potted plants through its own e-commerce sites and physical Plant Centre in Shropshire. The company also sells complementary rose care products (controlled release rose food, mycorrhizal fungi, secateurs), gift cards, and a Handbook of Roses catalogue, and operates paid workshops, afternoon tea, group events, and the free-to-visit Plant Centre and Rose Gardens destination.

Product overview

David Austin Roses is a family-owned British rose breeder and nursery established in 1961, operating from a farm in Shropshire. The company offers over 400 rose varieties through its e-commerce platform, including approximately 129 English Roses (its signature class combining old rose beauty and fragrance with modern repeat-flowering), 68 Climbing Roses, 44 Rambling Roses, 115 Shrub Roses, 19 Standard Tree Roses, plus Old Roses, Floribunda, and Hybrid Tea varieties. Roses are sold as either Bare Root (dormant, November-April, plastic-free packaging) or Potted (year-round, in recycled plastic pots). The core product offering is supported by the Rose Finder interactive tool, a 5-year guarantee, delivery services, and experiential offerings including workshops, afternoon tea, and visitor gardens in Shropshire featuring over 4,000 roses across six themed gardens. The company also sells companion products including rose food, mycorrhizal fungi, and gardening tools, along with gift cards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• English Roses: The signature rose collection combining old rose beauty and fragrance with modern repeat-flowering characteristics, bred by David Austin.

Products and services

• Bare Root Roses Dormant rose plants delivered without soil during the November to April season for cost-effective winter planting; includes shrub, climbing, rambling, standard tree, English, old, floribunda, hybrid tea, and other rose varieties from the David Austin catalog.
• Potted Roses Container-grown roses available year-round for immediate planting, delivered in signature green pots made from 98% recycled plastic with an established root ball; covers the same breadth of varieties as the bare root range.
• Sir David Beckham Rose (Ausa34b16) English Shrub Rose variety created in partnership with The King's Foundation, with white blooms, medium musk fragrance, and a charitable donation component (£2.50 per sale) supporting the King's Foundation; sold through David Austin's bare root and potted rose ranges.
• Gift Cards Physical and digital (e-gift) cards available in denominations from £20 to £250, allowing recipients to choose their own roses or products from the David Austin catalog.
• David Austin Controlled Release Rose Food Slow-release fertilizer specifically formulated for David Austin roses, priced at £8.95, sold as a complementary rose care product.
• David Austin Mycorrhizal Fungi Soil supplement designed to encourage robust root development in newly planted roses; sold as a companion to bare root and potted roses.
• Rose Care Accessories Gardening essentials including Niwaki secateurs (£76) and garden scissors (£32), sold alongside other rose care products through the David Austin gift shop and e-commerce site.
• Pruning Workshop Hands-on workshop held January–February at the Plant Centre in Shropshire teaching pruning techniques for English shrub and climbing roses; includes breakfast, welcome drink, and a complimentary potted rose.
• Bare Root Rose Workshop Seasonal workshop held in November at the Plant Centre covering planting techniques, pruning, soil preparation, and rose care; includes a complimentary bare root rose and mycorrhizal fungi.
• Afternoon Tea Dining experience at the on-site restaurant featuring homemade dishes made with locally sourced ingredients, sandwiches, scones, and cakes served with teas and coffee; gift cards priced from £32 to £320.
• Delivered in Flower Weekly expert selection service delivering roses already in bloom for instant garden color and fragrance display, allowing customers to receive roses at peak flower rather than dormant plants.
• Plant Centre and Rose Gardens Physical visitor destination in Albrighton, Shropshire featuring six themed gardens with over 4,000 roses (including the National Collection of English Roses), a Plant Centre gift shop, restaurant, and on-site expert advice from Rose Specialists; free admission.
• Handbook of Roses 2026 Annual catalogue available in print or digital format featuring the complete David Austin rose collection with detailed descriptions and growing guidance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 RHS Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medals awarded for rose quality
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The King's FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership in connection with the Sir David Beckham rose, created in collaboration with The King's Foundation. Sir David Beckham serves as an Ambassador for the Foundation. From each rose sale, £2.50 is donated to King Charles III's nature and sustainability charity, supporting sustainable communities and heritage crafts.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heirloom Roses: US-based mail-order rose specialist selling own-root and grafted roses across many categories including English-style, climbing, and shrub roses. Comparable to David Austin in business model (specialist direct-to-consumer rose retailer) and target customer (premium home gardeners), though focused on the US market.
• White Flower Farm: Premium US mail-order nursery selling perennials, shrubs, and specialty plants through catalogs and a high-end e-commerce site. Comparable to David Austin as a premium direct-to-consumer plant retailer emphasizing quality, brand storytelling, customer support, and high average order value — a similar business model in a broader plant category.
• Jackson & Perkins: One of the largest US rose retailers and breeders, offering a wide range of bare-root and potted roses via direct mail and online channels. Comparable to David Austin as a long-established, broad-catalog rose specialist with national/international distribution and similar gifting/seasonal business cycles.
• Bluestone Perennials: US mail-order perennial plant nursery selling a broad catalog of ornamentals directly to home gardeners. Comparable to David Austin in operating a direct-to-consumer online plant retail model with strong catalog content, similar logistics for shipping live plants, and similar target customer (premium home gardener).
• Weeks Roses: US wholesale and retail rose grower specializing in grafted garden roses, including own-bred varieties such as 'Knock Out'. Comparable to David Austin in its focus on proprietary branded rose varieties sold through garden centers and direct channels, with similar supply chain and seasonal cycles.
• Kordes Rosen: German rose breeder and global supplier of cut-flower and garden rose varieties with proprietary breeding programs. Comparable to David Austin as another major European rose breeder competing on disease resistance, fragrance, and repeat-flowering traits in the premium garden rose category.
• Peter Beales Roses: UK-based specialist rose breeder and nursery offering a broad catalog of heritage and modern rose varieties, including own-bred cultivars. Closest direct competitor to David Austin in the British premium rose specialist segment, with overlapping customer base of home gardeners and gift buyers.

Others

• RHS Wisley / Royal Horticultural Society: Major UK horticultural charity operating flagship show gardens (including Wisley) and the Chelsea Flower Show where David Austin has won 30 Gold Medals. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem player — not a competitor, but a regulator/award-giver, distribution partner, and validator of premium garden brands in the same UK gardening market.

Broad incumbents

• Meilland International: Major French rose breeding conglomerate with global licensing and distribution of garden and cut-flower roses, including the famous 'Peace' rose. Comparable to David Austin as a large-scale, internationally recognized rose breeding brand, though operating across a much broader cut-flower and licensing portfolio.
• Proven Winners: North American ornamental plant brand cooperative marketing branded shrubs, perennials, and annuals through garden centers. Comparable to David Austin as a brand-driven ornamental plant company with proprietary varieties, retail partnerships, and a similar emphasis on consumer-facing marketing of plant genetics.

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Pinterestpinterest.com/davidaustinroses
• TikToktiktok.com/@davidaustinroses
• Xx.com/daustinroses
• Facebookfacebook.com/davidaustinroses

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about David Austin