Ed Hume Seeds

What Ed Hume Seeds does

Ed Hume Seeds is a family-owned seed company headquartered in Puyallup, Washington, founded in 1977 and operating with approximately 6 employees. The company specializes in untreated, non-genetically engineered seeds selected for short-season and cool-climate growing conditions, serving primarily home gardeners in the Pacific Northwest and at high altitudes. Its catalog includes 341 products spanning flower seeds (108 SKUs), vegetable seeds (211 SKUs), herb seeds (24 SKUs), and certified organic seeds (18 SKUs), plus themed seed collections such as Gothic Vegetable, Kitchen Herb, Rainbow Vegetable, and Sunflower Field kits. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer e-commerce through humeseeds.com with wholesale placement in independent garden centers and nurseries across Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, and Northern California.

The company's revenue model rests on three streams: retail seed packet sales priced at $1.99-$4.95 with free shipping over $50, curated seed collections at $17.95-$24.95, and a B2B custom promotional seed packet service priced at $0.60-$0.75 per unit with custom artwork printing available. The promotional B2B line serves weddings, corporate events, fundraisers, and reunions via direct sales contact. Ed Hume Seeds operates a 'current crop only' fresh seed policy, donating 100% of unsold inventory to charities worldwide at year-end rather than holding inventory over. The brand is tightly associated with founder Ed Hume's 58-year media presence as host of the longest continuous-running gardening television show in North America, supported by an Educational Garden, YouTube channel, gardening library, newsletter, and the Garden Writers Association 'Plant A Row' food-security partnership.

Name

Ed Hume Seeds

Legal name

Ed Hume Seeds

Website

https://humeseeds.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ed Hume Seeds is a family-owned, Puyallup, Washington-based seed company founded in 1977 that sells untreated, cool-climate-adapted flower, vegetable, herb, and organic seeds direct-to-consumer online, through Pacific Northwest garden centers, and via custom B2B promotional packets for events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Garden Seeds & Horticultural Supplies

NAICS

Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies Retailers (4442), Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (44424)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Turf & Ornamental Seeds (Lawn, Golf, Landscaping) (AFABAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Soils, Mulch, Fertilizers & Lawn Care Chemicals Retail (CRAIAIAC)

Keywords

• Cool climate vegetable seeds
• Flower and herb seeds
• Organic garden seeds
• Themed seed collections
• Custom promotional seed packets

Headquarters

HQ city

Puyallup

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Seed Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales of flower, vegetable, and herb seeds through the company website, including individual packets and seed collections.
2. Custom Promotional Seed Packets: Bulk sales of custom-branded seed packets for events, weddings, corporate promotions, and fundraisers. Volume pricing tiers from 100 to 5000+ packets with customization options.
3. Retail Distribution: Wholesale distribution to independent garden centers, nurseries, and stores throughout the Pacific Northwest region.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ed Hume Seeds is a family-owned retailer that packages and sells untreated, non-GMO seeds of flowers, vegetables, herbs, and organic varieties selected for cool and short-season climates, alongside themed seed collections, a custom promotional seed-packet service, the founder's gardening book, and an annual gardening almanac. The company sells primarily direct to consumers through its own e-commerce site and wholesale to Pacific Northwest garden centers, with a separate B2B promotional-packet line for events and fundraisers.

Product overview

Ed Hume Seeds is a family-owned seed company offering a comprehensive catalog of flower, vegetable, herb, and organic seeds, along with seed collections, custom promotional packets, gardening books, and educational tours. The core offerings center on seeds specially selected for cool climates and short-season areas, particularly suited for the Pacific Northwest, high altitudes, and early or late planting in warm climates. The company also provides branded merchandise including the annual Moon Sign Garden Almanac and Ed Hume's gardening book, plus custom promotional seed packet services for events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Flower Seeds

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Garden Writers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEd Hume Seeds participates in the Plant A Row program organized by the Garden Writers Association, the oldest and largest association of professional garden communicators. The program encourages gardeners to grow extra produce to donate to local soup kitchens and food banks. Ed Hume Seeds provides free vegetable seed packets to the first 250 participants who sign up annually.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• True Leaf Market: True Leaf Market is a Utah-based online seed retailer specializing in microgreens, sprouting, and home garden seeds. It is an emerging player in the broader online seed retail category and overlaps with Ed Hume on conventional vegetable and herb seed packets.

Broad incumbents

• Burpee: Burpee is one of the largest and most recognized mail-order and online seed retailers in the U.S., offering a full assortment of vegetable, flower, and herb seeds. It directly competes with Ed Hume Seeds in the home gardener seed category but at materially larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Ferry-Morse Seed Company: Ferry-Morse is a heritage U.S. seed brand (founded 1856) selling flower, vegetable, and herb seeds across major retail and online channels. It competes directly with Ed Hume in mainstream home gardener seed packets but operates at much larger national scale and is owned by a strategic parent.
• Park Seed Company: Park Seed is a long-standing U.S. mail-order and online seed, plant, and gardening supply retailer. It competes with Ed Hume Seeds in the home gardener seed category and offers a broader assortment including live plants and gardening supplies.

Direct peers

• Johnny's Selected Seeds: Johnny's Selected Seeds is a Maine-based employee-owned seed company selling vegetable, flower, herb, and organic seeds to home gardeners and commercial growers. It is a direct peer in catalog/online seed retail with comparable curated brand positioning and similar commitment to high-germination seeds.
• Territorial Seed Company: Territorial Seed is a Cottage Grove, Oregon-based family-owned seed company specializing in varieties adapted to the Pacific Northwest climate. It is the most direct geographic peer to Ed Hume Seeds, addressing the same cool-climate, short-season gardening niche through catalog and online channels.
• Botanical Interests: Botanical Interests is a Colorado-based family-owned seed packet retailer focused on high-germination, untreated, non-GMO seeds with illustrated educational packaging. It is a direct peer in the premium-positioned seed packet category with a similar educational content emphasis.
• Seed Savers Exchange: Seed Savers Exchange is a nonprofit member-supported seed retailer specializing in heirloom and open-pollinated varieties for home gardeners. It is a direct peer in the curated seed packet category and overlaps with Ed Hume on cool-climate vegetable and flower offerings.
• Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is a specialty heirloom and open-pollinated seed retailer serving home gardeners through mail-order and online channels. It competes with Ed Hume in the curated, story-driven seed packet category and serves a similar values-oriented gardening customer.

Regional players

• American Meadows: American Meadows is a Vermont-based online retailer specializing in wildflower seeds, bulbs, and perennial plants. It is a regional specialty peer that competes with Ed Hume's flower seed listings and adjacent gardening categories.

Market position

Strengths6 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC34Du5DrSZm4LcAda8d2X5A
• Facebookfacebook.com/HumeSeeds
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ed-hume-seeds

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Ed Hume Seeds