Pure Seed

What Pure Seed does

Pure Seed is a privately held, family-owned wholesale seed company founded in 1974 by Bill and Betty Rose and based in Canby, Oregon, in the Willamette Valley grass seed capital. The company develops, produces, and distributes elite warm- and cool-season turfgrass and forage varieties that are bred and validated through its integrated research arm, Pure-Seed Testing (PST). PST operates two U.S. research sites — PST West in Canby (50+ years of trialing) and PST East in Rolesville, North Carolina (35 years) — and has produced 403 proprietary cultivars spanning nine species categories, with 138 varieties on the European Union certified seed list and more than 1 billion lbs of seed produced to date. Production spans 65,000 acres and supports both domestic and international distribution.

Core technology rests on a multi-decade breeding and trialing platform rather than software. PST runs replicated trials under disease, drought (TWCA qualification, up to 40% water savings), salt stress (20,000 ppm NaCl), traffic simulation, shade (world's largest privately held shade trial), and cold germination protocols, alongside standard NTEP evaluation. Varieties carry category-leading trait packages (gray leaf spot resistance, brown patch resistance, salt tolerance, rapid establishment, glyphosate tolerance, and herbicide resistance via the ACCe Technology in STRATIS). The catalogue is structured into three commercial lines: Cool Season Turfgrass (tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, bentgrass brands including PUREBLUE, PUREGREEN, PUREWAY, PURELINKS, SUNGOLD), Warm Season Turfgrass (bermudagrass and seashore paspalum distributed via Atlas Turf International), and Forage & Cover Crop (tetraploid ryegrasses, orchardgrass, red clover, soft-leaved tall fescue, teff, and others).

Pure Seed operates an exclusively wholesale B2B model with no direct-to-consumer channel; products flow through a distributor network, with warm season lines distributed globally via the Atlas Turf International partnership and EU-certified varieties distributed through European channels. Customers are turfgrass professionals (sports fields, golf courses, sod farms, landscapers), agricultural forage operations, and (downstream through retailers) residential homeowners. The GTM motion is enterprise field sales supported by the annual Field Day event, the Grass Clippings podcast hosted by President Crystal Rose-Fricker, the YouTube "Grass Half Full" series, and active social channels. Revenue is generated through seed sales and EU-certified seed licensing/royalties; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Pure Seed remains under three-generation Rose family ownership with no institutional investors or parent company identified in the data.

Name

Pure Seed

Legal name

Pure Seed

Website

https://pureseed.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Pure Seed is a privately held, family-owned wholesale developer and supplier of elite turfgrass and forage seed varieties, backed by its research arm Pure-Seed Testing with 50+ years of multi-site trialing across Oregon and North Carolina. Products flow exclusively through a distributor network serving sports, golf, sod farm, landscaping, forage, and residential end markets worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Turfgrass and Forage Seeds

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Seed Production & Multiplication (Contract Growing, Foundation/Certified Seed) (AFABAFAK), Seed Distribution & Wholesale (Channel Sales) (AFAGAIAM), Seed Testing, Certification & Quality Assurance (Germination, Purity, Phytosanitary) (AFABAFAM)

Keywords

• Turfgrass seed breeding
• Forage grass varieties
• Wholesale seed distribution
• Cool season turfgrass
• Warm season turfgrass

Headquarters

HQ city

Canby

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Turfgrass Seed Sales: Pure Seed operates as a wholesale company selling warm and cool season turfgrass and forages developed by Pure-Seed Testing. From breeding and field trials to coating, packaging, and shipping, the company manages the entire seed production process through a distributor network.
2. European-Certified Seed Licensing: 138 of the company's turf and forage grass cultivars are on the European Union list, with various varieties available or pending as certified European-listed seeds under EU-specific names (e.g., Vantage, Carlevé, Crystal Blue, Magic Wand GT, Midnight Sun, PC2, Picabu, Salsol, 07S-95, After Midnight).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pure Seed is a wholesale seed company that develops, tests, and supplies elite turfgrass and forage varieties through its research partner Pure-Seed Testing (PST). The company manages the full seed production lifecycle from breeding and multi-site field trials to coating, packaging, and shipping, selling exclusively through a distributor network (not directly to consumers). Its portfolio spans cool-season turfgrass (tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, bentgrass), warm-season turfgrass (bermudagrass, paspalum), and forage/cover crop varieties.

Product overview

Pure Seed is a wholesale seed company that develops, tests, and supplies elite turfgrass and forage varieties through its Pure-Seed Testing research division. The product portfolio consists of three main categories: Cool Season Turfgrass (including Tall Fescue varieties like GLX Aced, GLX Star, Lifeguard, SUNGOLD with its RST and TWCA variants; Perennial Ryegrass varieties like Brightstar SLT, Gray Eagle SLT, Gray Fox; Fine Fescue varieties like Bighorn GT, PURELINKS with GT and TWCA variants; Kentucky Bluegrass varieties like PUREBLUE, Desert Dream, Full Moon; and Bentgrass varieties like Crystal BlueLinks, PC2.0, PURE+, PUREGREEN, PUREWAY, Penncross, PennLinks II, Pure Eclipse, Pure Select), Warm Season Turfgrass (including Bermudagrass varieties like North Shore SLT, Pure Dynasty, Sun Queen; Paspalum varieties like RESCAPE, STRATIS with ACCe Technology; and Forage Bermudagrass like Chilly Verde), and Forage & Cover Crop products (including Tetraploid Ryegrass varieties like TetraGain, TetraGain SLT, Tetibear, TetraGrande; Orchardgrass varieties like Elise, Shawnee; Red Clover like Emarwan; and specialty crops like Ivory Teff, Big Blue Forage Bluegrass, Cowgirl Soft Leaved Tall Fescue). Products are available in Europe under specific EU-listed names and many are TWCA-qualified for water conservation. The company operates through partnerships with Atlas Turf International for warm season products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SUNGOLD: Tall fescue blend with Rapid Spreading Technology, TWCA qualified with heat and drought tolerance
• PURELINKS
• PUREBLUE
• PUREGREEN
• PUREWAY
• PURE+
• Crystal BlueLinks
• Atlas Turf International

Products and services

• Bighorn GT American sheep fescue developed for wide adaptability with blue-green color, fine texture, top-tier glyphosate tolerance, and excellent drought tolerance.
• Brightstar SLT Perennial ryegrass variety with excellent color, salt tolerance, disease resistance, easy transition, and excellent overseeding properties.
• Carly Perennial ryegrass selected for turf quality, disease resistance, unique blue-green color, and heat and cold tolerance.
• Crystal BlueLinks Creeping bentgrass with remarkable turf quality and unique blue-green color, ideal for greens, fairways, and tees; resistant to brown patch and dollar spot and tolerates hot/cold temperatures and shade.
• Cumberland Tall fescue with excellent summer turf performance, maintaining color and density during hot, humid summers; drought tolerant and suitable for residential or commercial lawns in sun or shade.
• Desert Dream Kentucky bluegrass selected for summer patch resistance, drought tolerance, turf density, and managed mowing frequency.
• Enchantment Chewing's fescue with medium green color and good drought tolerance; top performer for resistance to melting out in turf quality ratings with reduced vertical growth compared to other fine fescues.
• Endurance Kentucky bluegrass with drought tolerance, salt tolerance, traffic tolerance, and disease resistance (leaf spot).
• Estelle Perennial ryegrass with high turf quality, crown rust resistance, dark green color, gray leaf spot resistance, and winter color retention.
• Flightline Perennial ryegrass selected for disease resistance, winter color, spring green-up, and snow mold resistance.
• Full Moon Kentucky bluegrass with drought tolerance, wear tolerance, heat tolerance, gray leaf spot resistance, and excellent density and color.
• GLX Aced Tall fescue with exceptional tolerance to gray leaf spot and superior turf quality; excels in heat and drought tolerance, wear tolerance, and overall disease resistance with fine leaf texture and dark color; recognized on the Maryland-Virginia List.
• GLX Star Tall fescue offering extreme gray leaf spot resistance (GLX), drought tolerance, excellent turf quality, disease resistance, and excellent seed yield; TWCA qualified.
• Gray Eagle SLT Perennial ryegrass with traffic tolerance, excellent color, disease resistance, and heat tolerance.
• Gray Fox Perennial ryegrass with gray leaf spot resistance, stem and crown rust resistance, drought tolerance, color and density, establishment and recovery, and traffic tolerance.
• Gray Hawk Perennial ryegrass with rust resistance, salt resistance, shade tolerance, excellent color and density, and gray leaf spot resistance.
• Gray Wolf Perennial ryegrass with excellent turf quality, great shade tolerance, fast establishment, and excellent seed yield.
• Harvest Moon Kentucky bluegrass with leaf spot resistance, rust resistance, spring green-up, and spring density.
• Hixson Chewings fescue with excellent overall turf quality, rust and leaf spot resistance, good spring green-up, and spring density.
• Jump Start Kentucky bluegrass bred for rapid establishment, traffic tolerance, heat tolerance, salt tolerance, and spring green-up.
• Kickstart Kentucky bluegrass with drought tolerance, brown patch resistance, heat tolerance, gray leaf spot resistance, and shade tolerance.
• Lifeguard New and improved tall fescue with brown patch resistance, shade tolerance, gray leaf spot resistance, and excellent heat and drought tolerance; TWCA qualified.
• Monument Tall fescue selected for resistance to both brown patch and stem rust, providing advantage in disease resistant tall fescues; recognized on the Maryland-Virginia List.
• Moondance GLX Tall fescue developed with exceptional tolerance to gray leaf spot and brown patch resistance; excels in drought tolerance, wear tolerance, and overall turf quality; on the Maryland-Virginia list.
• Moonlight SLT Perennial ryegrass with crown rust resistance, gray leaf spot resistance, and stem rust resistance.
• New Sealand Perennial ryegrass with drought tolerance, dense texture, winter color, and heat, cold, and wear tolerance.
• PC2.0 Creeping bentgrass exhibiting stunning medium green color with very fine leaf texture; suitable for greens, tees, fairways, and divot repair with dense, upright, aggressive growth habit and exceptional ability to compete against Poa annua.
• PURE+ Revolutionary new blend of bentgrass and successor product to the legendary A1/A4 bentgrass blend; offers sod quality, quick establishment, aggressive growth habit, and overall disease resistance.
• PUREBLUE Premium Kentucky bluegrass brand with disease resistance, cold germination, high turf quality, high density, and optimal playing surface characteristics.
• PUREGREEN Proprietary brand of top-performing creeping bentgrass varieties selected for green use with enhanced genetics, rapid establishment, aggressive root development, cold germination, and disease resistance.
• PURELINKS Fine fescue blend offering quality characteristics for chewings, creeper, hard, or sheeps fescue; available in GT (glyphosate-tolerant), standard, and TWCA variants with customization options.
• PURESPORT Perennial ryegrass blend with quick establishment, exceptional interseeding capability, shade tolerance, salt tolerance, and disease resistance.
• PUREWAY Creeping bentgrass blend for greens, tees, and fairways with unmatched toughness including shade tolerance, salt tolerance, and disease resistance; ideal for interseeding with quick establishment and cold germination.
• Penn A1 Very fine bentgrass with ideal traits for putting greens and outstanding performance on fairways and tees; being phased out but available through A+ blend.
• PennLinks II Creeping bentgrass building on strengths of original PennLinks with excellent choice for greens, tees, and fairways; features medium dark green coloration and semi-fine leaf texture.

Quantifiable outcome

• TWCA qualified cultivars use up to 40% less water while maintaining green surface
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Turfgrass Water Conservation Alliance (TWCA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Pure Seed co-founded TWCA in 2011. TWCA is committed to improving plant material that leads to water conservation. The organization's science-based approach relies on 3rd party peer review data to qualify only turfgrasses that demonstrate statistically significant water savings of up to 40% less water.
• Atlas Turf InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPure Seed partners with Atlas Turf International to offer the most extensive and innovative line of warm season seeded turfgrass products. Providing solutions-based sustainable varieties for golf, sports, landscaping, and infrastructure, Pure Seed and Atlas Turf are the worldwide source for quality turfgrass. Atlas Turf specializes in warm season turfgrass distribution globally.
• Bill Rose FoundationcoreOthersThe Bill Rose Foundation was formed in memory of Bill Rose, founder of Pure Seed. The foundation is dedicated to continuing innovation in the turfgrass industry through support of students and academic research programs. It bridges the gap between the academic world and real-world application of turfgrass research and development.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Barenbrug: Global turfgrass and forage seed major with deep breeding programs in the US and Europe. Competes head-to-head with Pure Seed in ryegrass, fescue, and Kentucky bluegrass categories via wholesale and international licensing.
• Sod Solutions: Warm-season turfgrass developer and licensor specializing in bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, and St. Augustine varieties; partners with Atlas Turf for distribution and overlaps Pure Seed's warm-season bermudagrass and paspalum offerings.
• DLF Seeds: World's largest seed company with extensive turfgrass and forage portfolios including the Jacklin Seed brand. Directly competes with Pure Seed across cool- and warm-season turfgrass varieties and wholesale distributor channels globally.
• Mountain View Seeds: Pacific Northwest-based wholesale turfgrass and forage seed company operating in the same Willamette Valley ecosystem as Pure Seed, supplying distributors with proprietary and licensed varieties across ryegrass, fescue, and bluegrass.
• Seed Research of Oregon: Pacific Northwest-based turfgrass seed developer and supplier focusing on bentgrass, ryegrass, and bluegrass varieties; operates a similar wholesale distributor model targeting golf course and athletic field customers.
• Pennington Seed (Central Garden & Pet): Major US turfgrass and forage seed brand competing through the same wholesale channels, with particular strength in residential and professional turfgrass categories overlapping Pure Seed's PUREBLUE and PURELINKS lines.
• Tee-2-Green: Pure bentgrass specialist (Penncross, PennLinks, Penneagle pedigree) competing directly with Pure Seed's PUREGREEN, PUREWAY, PURE+, and Pure Select bentgrass blends in the golf course superintendent channel.
• Jacklin Seed (DLF): Turfgrass-focused brand within DLF offering proprietary bluegrass, ryegrass, and bentgrass varieties; one of the closest direct competitors in championship-venue specifications and golf/sports channels.

Broad incumbents

• WinField United (Land O'Lakes): Major agricultural inputs retailer and seed distributor reaching golf courses, sports facilities, and ag retailers; competes with Pure Seed indirectly as a multi-brand seed channel that shapes end-user variety selection.
• SiteOne Landscape Supply: Largest US distributor of turfgrass seed and related products serving landscape professionals. Acts as a primary downstream channel for Pure Seed's wholesale output alongside competing seed brands.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/PureSeed_RPMS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@PureSeedRPMS
• Facebookfacebook.com/PureSeedRPMS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pure-seed-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/pure_seed?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Pure Seed