Northern Sunset Perennials
W. & E. Radtke, Inc. operates the Northern Sunset Perennials wholesale nursery in Germantown, Wisconsin, producing 1,400+ varieties of cold-hardy perennials, native plants, herbs, and vegetables for garden centers and landscapers across Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, and Upper Michigan.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersGermantown, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Northern Sunset Perennials does
Northern Sunset Perennials is the primary consumer-facing brand of W. & E. Radtke, Inc., a family-owned wholesale plant nursery headquartered in Germantown, Wisconsin. Founded in 1929 with roots traced to the mid-1800s, the company began specializing in perennials in 1970 and today cultivates more than 1,400 varieties across four branded product lines: Northern Sunset Perennials (the core perennial collection), Native Naturally! (native plants), Scarborough Faire (herbs), and Grandpa's Reds (vegetables and small fruits). Plants are nursery-grown in multiple container sizes — gallons, quarts, 6-inch pots, and plugs — and bred for performance in northern climate zones; the company holds one plant patent (Blind Date Boneset, PP35173) and four registered brand trademarks.
The business operates as a wholesale B2B model. All plant sales flow through authorized garden centers and professional landscapers in Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, and Upper Michigan, with no apparent consumer-direct e-commerce channel. Trade customers access pricing, availability, and ordering through a dedicated wholesale portal at weradtke.com/wholesale/, supported by printed color cards, plant catalogs, and published top-seller lists. Marketing reach consists of a Facebook page, the company website, and traditional in-store printed materials; a Where-to-Buy locator tool drives end consumers to retail partners.
Revenue mechanics are transaction-based and quote-driven through the wholesale portal on a pay-as-you-go cadence, with no tiered subscription, licensing, or enterprise-contract model disclosed. The company is privately held, family-owned, with no disclosed funding rounds, no headcount, no management-team roster, no M&A activity, and no revenue figures in the public source materials. Active product development continues, evidenced by the 2026 Plant Lineup and the Blind Date Boneset introduction, but no signals of funding-driven scale-up are present.
Northern Sunset Perennials firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Northern Sunset Perennials
- Legal name
- W. & E. Radtke, Inc.
- Website
- https://northernsunset.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- W. & E. Radtke, Inc. operates the Northern Sunset Perennials wholesale nursery in Germantown, Wisconsin, producing 1,400+ varieties of cold-hardy perennials, native plants, herbs, and vegetables for garden centers and landscapers across Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, and Upper Michigan.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Northern Sunset Perennials industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wholesale Plant Nursery
- NAICS
- Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114), Nursery and Tree Production (111421)
- SIC
- Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sod, Turfgrass & Groundcover Production (AFAGAHAL)
Keywords
Where Northern Sunset Perennials is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Germantown
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Northern Sunset Perennials business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Wholesale Plant Sales: B2B wholesale nursery sales of perennials, native plants, herbs, and vegetables/small fruits to garden centers and landscapers. Plants are sold in various container sizes including gallons, quarts, 6-inch pots, and plugs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Wholesale plant pricing by container size |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Northern Sunset Perennials product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Northern Sunset Perennials is a wholesale plant nursery that grows and distributes cold-hardy perennials, native plants, herbs, and vegetables/small fruits to garden centers and professional landscapers across Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, and Upper Michigan. The company offers more than 1,400 varieties across four branded collections: Northern Sunset Perennials, Native Naturally!, Scarborough Faire, and Grandpa Red's, sold in container sizes including gallons, quarts, 6-inch pots, and plugs.
Product overview
Northern Sunset Perennials is a wholesale plant nursery and the primary brand of W. & E. Radtke, Inc., a family-owned business with over 90 years of horticultural experience dating back to 1929. The company operates as a multi-brand portfolio offering more than 1,400 varieties of plants across four distinct product lines: Northern Sunset Perennials (core perennial offerings), Native Naturally (native plants), Scarborough Faire (herbs), and Grandpa's Reds (vegetables and small fruits). All products are nursery grown and garden ready, distributed through garden centers and landscapers in Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, and Upper Michigan. The company also provides wholesale pricing, availability lists, color cards, and top seller reports to its trade customers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Northern Sunset Perennials: Primary brand for perennials - offering more than 1,400 varieties of perennial plants
- Native, Naturally!™
- Scarborough Faire
- Grandpa's Reds
Products and services
- Northern Sunset Perennials The company's main perennial plant brand offering more than 1,400 varieties of wholesale garden plants. Plants are nursery grown and garden ready, featuring genetics from the newest and best plant breeding.
- Native Naturally! A sub-brand specializing in native plants for Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, and Upper Michigan landscapes, distributed wholesale to garden centers.
- Scarborough Faire Herbs brand offering a variety of herb plants for wholesale distribution to garden centers.
- Grandpa's Reds Vegetables and small fruits brand offering edible garden plants for wholesale distribution.
- Blind Date Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum 'Blind Date', PP35173) Patented native perennial selection (PP35173) of Eupatorium perfoliatum featuring chocolate-red foliage topped with milky white flowers; tolerates average soil and is suitable for wetland-edge landscape use.
Companies that use Northern Sunset Perennials
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Northern Sunset Perennials technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Northern Sunset Perennials partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Northern Sunset Perennials competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Greenleaf Nursery Company: Oklahoma-based wholesale container nursery producing perennials, shrubs, and trees for independent garden centers in the central and eastern U.S. Comparable wholesale channel structure and product breadth across ornamental categories.
- Spring Meadow Nursery: Michigan wholesale shrub and perennial grower, breeder of the Proven Winners ColorChoice line. Directly comparable wholesale B2B model, branded genetics, and cold-climate plant focus serving garden centers across the U.S.
- Proven Winners: National branded plant marketing network offering perennials, shrubs, and annuals through wholesale growers. Already a partner/feature on Northern Sunset's website; comparable branded plant strategy targeting garden centers and landscapers.
- Walters Gardens: Michigan-based wholesale perennial grower supplying garden centers and landscapers across the Midwest and nationally. Directly comparable product category (perennials, grasses, native plants), B2B wholesale model, and breeder of branded perennial lines.
- Kurt Bluemel Inc. Maryland wholesale perennial, grass, and bamboo grower focused on ornamental and native plants for landscape professionals. Directly comparable B2B wholesale perennial model with strong designer/landscaper customer base.
Broad incumbents
- Bailey Nurseries: Large Minnesota-based wholesale nursery producing perennials, shrubs, and trees for national retail and landscape customers. Comparable wholesale channel strategy and regional Midwest heritage, but operates at significantly larger scale with broader product lines (Endless Summer, First Editions).
- Dümmen Orange: Global plant breeder and producer supplying perennials, annuals, and shrubs to wholesale growers and retailers worldwide. Comparable breeding-driven branded plant strategy serving the same garden-center end customer, though at much larger global scale.
- Star Roses and Plants: Pennsylvania-based wholesale producer of roses, perennials, shrubs, and edibles sold through garden centers and landscape distributors. Comparable wholesale model and branded plant portfolio, though broader in scope and national in reach.
- Monrovia Nursery Company: Large California-based wholesale nursery producing perennials, shrubs, and trees for independent garden centers nationwide. Comparable wholesale channel and branded plant strategy, but operates at substantially larger scale with national distribution.
Emerging players
- Darwin Perennials (Ball Horticultural): Perennial brand under Ball Seed that supplies unrooted cuttings and liner perennials to wholesale growers and finish growers. Comparable perennial category focus with breeder-driven genetics, though positioned upstream as a supplier rather than finished wholesale grower.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Northern Sunset Perennials social profiles
Digital presenceNorthern Sunset Perennials financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Northern Sunset Perennials leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Northern Sunset Perennials funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Northern Sunset Perennials M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Northern Sunset Perennials
What does Northern Sunset Perennials do?
Northern Sunset Perennials is a wholesale plant nursery that grows and distributes cold-hardy perennials, native plants, herbs, and vegetables/small fruits to garden centers and professional landscapers across Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, and Upper Michigan. The company offers more than 1,400 varieties across four branded collections: Northern Sunset Perennials, Native Naturally!, Scarborough Faire, and Grandpa Red's, sold in container sizes including gallons, quarts, 6-inch pots, and plugs.
Is Northern Sunset Perennials a public or private company?
Northern Sunset Perennials is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Northern Sunset Perennials founded?
Northern Sunset Perennials was founded in 1970. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Northern Sunset Perennials based?
Northern Sunset Perennials is headquartered in Germantown, United States, in the North America region.
How does Northern Sunset Perennials make money?
One revenue line is on record: wholesale Plant Sales.
Who are Northern Sunset Perennials's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Greenleaf Nursery Company, Spring Meadow Nursery, Proven Winners, Walters Gardens and Kurt Bluemel Inc.. Broad incumbents are Bailey Nurseries, Dümmen Orange, Star Roses and Plants and Monrovia Nursery Company. Darwin Perennials (Ball Horticultural) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Northern Sunset Perennials have an API?
No public API is recorded for Northern Sunset Perennials.
What industry is Northern Sunset Perennials in?
Northern Sunset Perennials's product category is Wholesale Plant Nursery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAGAHAL, Sod, Turfgrass & Groundcover Production. Its NAICS code is 1114 and its SIC code is 100.