What Georges Delbard does

Georges Delbard is a third-generation French family-owned nursery and direct-to-consumer plant retailer, founded in 1935 by Georges Delbard in Malicorne, Allier, and led today by his grandson Arnaud Delbard. The company operates a 600-hectare agricultural domain — 115 hectares dedicated to rose and fruit tree nursery production — and a conservatory orchard containing thousands of heritage fruit tree specimens (apple, pear, peach, plum, cherry). Its core proprietary output is a catalog of over 250 rose varieties and 80+ fruit tree varieties developed through traditional manual hybridation (pollen transfer by brush, followed by 6-9 year rose evaluation cycles and 20-year fruit tree evaluation pipelines), augmented with in-vitro culture multiplication and laboratory biotechnology research. Roughly 120,000 rose seeds are sown annually, with only a few varieties commercialized each year, and over 780,000 unique fruit tree varieties have been studied in the orchards since 1947.

The company's revenue model is direct-to-consumer e-commerce anchored at georgesdelbard.com, supplemented by French garden centre (jardinerie) distribution and international reseller networks in Belgium and Luxembourg. Products span roses, fruit trees (including BIO/organic certified lines), flowers, shrubs and climbers, vegetable plants, aquatic plants, and garden accessories, with pricing ranging from €6.90 entry-level collections to €338 premium collections. Marketing runs through a content blog (Les Carnets de Georges Delbard), email newsletter, and an annual interactive digital catalog. The company also sells gift cards from €10 and offers one-day pruning training workshops at the Malicorne estate from €120 per person, with free delivery on orders over €150 in mainland France. Certification portfolio includes Label Rouge, Agriculture Biologique (AB), Made in France, and Atelier Bourbonnais Savoir Faire.

The company has undergone multiple ownership transitions: LVMH acquired the Delbard group before the family regained control in 1995, followed by the Torck family (May 2005, founders of Camaïeu), the Nalod's group (March 2010), and finally the repurchase by Henri and Arnaud Delbard in March 2012 through the newly created SN PRGD to relaunch variety research. The company is currently privately held by the Delbard family with no external institutional investors indicated.

Name

Georges Delbard

Legal name

Georges Delbard

Website

https://georgesdelbard.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Georges Delbard is a third-generation French family-owned nursery founded in 1935, selling over 250 proprietary rose varieties and 80+ fruit tree varieties through direct e-commerce, French garden centres, and resellers in Belgium and Luxembourg from its 600-hectare Malicorne estate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Malicorne

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Products sold directly to consumers through georgesdelbard.com, with orders fulfilled directly from the Malicorne nurseries. Products include roses, fruit trees, shrubs, flowers, aquatic plants, garden tools and accessories.
2. Garden Centre and Retail Distribution: Products distributed through French garden centres (jardineries) and retail garden stores under the Delbard brand.
3. International Reseller Sales: Products sold through resellers in Belgium and Luxembourg, with point-of-sale lists available on the website.
4. Gift Cards: Georges Delbard gift cards available for purchase starting from 10 euros, enabling recipients to choose plants from the catalog.
5. Training Services: One-day training sessions on pruning fruit trees and roses offered at the Malicorne gardens, priced from 120 euros.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Georges Delbard breeds, grows, and sells proprietary rose and fruit tree varieties from its 600-hectare estate in Malicorne, France, with 250+ rose varieties and 80+ fruit tree varieties developed through traditional hybridization since 1935. The product range extends to flowers, shrubs, climbers, aquatic plants, vegetable plants, and garden accessories, sold directly to consumers via georgesdelbard.com and through French garden centres and international resellers. Vertical integration from breeding to delivery underpins the offering.

Product overview

Georges Delbard operates as a direct-to-consumer online nursery and rose garden, selling products primarily sourced from their 600-hectare estate in Malicorne, Allier, France. The core offerings center on two flagship categories: Rosiers (garden roses with over 250 proprietary varieties developed through traditional hybridization since 1935) and Fruitiers (fruit trees with 80+ varieties). These are complemented by a broader catalog spanning Fleurs (bulbs, perennials, annuals), Arbustes et grimpantes (shrubs and climbers), Potager (vegetable plants and herbs), Plantes aquatiques (aquatic plants), and Autour du jardin (tools, accessories, books, honey). The company also provides Inspiration jardin (garden design guidance) and services including gift cards and professional pruning training workshops at their Malicorne estate. Products are sold primarily through georgesdelbard.com with free delivery in mainland France for orders over €150, and through a network of French, Belgian, and Luxembourg resellers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rosiers (Roses) Garden roses and rose bushes, including over 250 proprietary varieties developed through traditional hybridization since 1935, in themed collections such as Grands Coloris, Grands Parfums, Souvenirs d'Amour Parfumés, Roses de Peintres, Roses de Chefs, and Roses de Personnalités, available in bush, climbing, ground cover,标准 stem, and weeping forms.
• Fruitiers (Fruit Trees) Fruit trees including stone fruits (apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums), pome fruits (quince, persimmon, nashi, pears, apples), nuts (almond, chestnut, hazelnut, walnut), small fruits (currants, raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries, kiwi/actinidia, blackberries, blueberries, grapes), citrus, and organic/BIO fruit trees, with 80+ varieties in forms such as espalier, columnar, and dwarf.
• Fleurs (Flowers) Flowering plants including spring and autumn planting bulbs, perennials (achillea, aster, campanula, coreopsis, dianthus, lavender, iris, peony, phlox, salvia, daylily, grasses, geranium, gaura), and annual plants (balcony geraniums, begonias, petunias, ornamental sages).
• Arbustes et grimpantes (Shrubs and Climbers) Shrubs and climbing plants including climbers (clematis, passion flowers, bignonia, jasmine, honeysuckle, wisteria), crape myrtle, ericaceous plants (azalea, camellia, Japanese maple, hydrangea, magnolia, rhododendron, loropetalum), ornamental trees, hedging shrubs, and Mediterranean shrubs (oleander, palm, gardenia, pomegranate, callistemon, cistus, banana, pittosporum).
• Potager (Kitchen Garden) Vegetable plants including cabbage, zucchini, strawberries, peppers and chilies, tomatoes, and aromatic herbs for kitchen garden cultivation by home gardeners.
• Plantes aquatiques (Aquatic Plants) Water plants including water lilies (nénuphars), lotus, other pond plants, and aquatic accessories for garden ponds and water features.
• Autour du jardin (Garden Accessories) Garden accessories including fertilizers, garden care products, secateurs/pruners, books by Georges Delbard, honey from the nurseries, garden decorations, figurines, arches, pergolas, trellises, and plant rollers.
• Carte Cadeau (Gift Card) Gift cards available in variable denominations starting from 10 EUR, allowing recipients to purchase any products from the Georges Delbard catalog.
• Formation Taille (Pruning Training) One-day professional pruning training workshops held at the Malicorne estate, teaching fruit tree and rose pruning techniques over a full day session priced from 120 EUR per person.

Quantifiable outcome

• Only a few varieties selected from over 120,000 rose seeds sown annually after 6-9 years of evaluation
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Pépinières DesmartisminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner nursery supplying shrubs (arbustes) to be shipped in separate parcels directly from the Desmartis nurseries to customers. Orders including Desmartis products are delivered in separate shipments.
• Pépinières TraversminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner nursery supplying climbing plants (grimpantes) to be shipped in separate parcels directly from the Travers nurseries to customers.
• Pépinières LepageminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner nursery supplying perennials (vivaces) to be shipped in separate parcels directly from the Lepage nurseries to customers.
• Latour-MarliacminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner supplier of aquatic plants (plantes aquatiques) shipped in separate parcels directly from Latour-Marliac to customers.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Jardiland: Large French garden-center chain, one of the distributors of Delbard's products. Comparable as a French garden retail channel and indirect competitor for plant purchases.
• Vilmorin & Cie (Limagrain): Major French seed and plant producer with extensive catalogs of vegetable, flower, and fruit varieties. Comparable as a French plant-breeding heritage brand, but vastly larger scale and broader crop focus.
• Truffaut: Major French garden-center chain selling plants, tools, and outdoor products. Comparable as a French plant retail channel and indirect competitor for plant sales, though broader in scope.

Direct peers

• Guillot Roses (Roseraies Guillot): French heritage rose breeder established in the 19th century, also focused on traditional hybridization and proprietary rose varieties. Comparable niche player with similar breeding IP and French market focus.
• André Briant Jeunes Plants: French nursery specializing in young plants, fruit trees, and roses with B2B and B2C distribution. Comparable producer of fruit trees and ornamentals serving French garden centers and growers.
• Meilland International: French rose breeder and producer with a global footprint, directly comparable to Georges Delbard's rose hybridization and distribution business. Competes head-to-head in proprietary rose varieties and French/international garden-centre channels.
• David Austin Roses: UK-based rose breeder with proprietary English Rose varieties, comparable to Delbard's branded rose collections. Competes in premium rose retail with strong heritage and direct-to-consumer e-commerce.
• Pépinières Minier: French wholesale nursery producing a wide range of ornamental and fruit plants for garden centers. Comparable production scale and product breadth within the French nursery industry.
• Kordes Rosen: German rose breeder with a global network of agents and licensees, comparable to Delbard's international reseller model. Competes in proprietary disease-resistant rose varieties.

Emerging players

• Promesse de Fleurs: French online plant nursery focused on perennials, shrubs, and rare plants via DTC e-commerce. Comparable direct-to-consumer model but with a different product mix (less rose/fruit tree proprietary IP).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pepinieres-et-roseraies-georges-delbard

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Georges Delbard