Congrats to Flower Breeder Todd Perkins as He Retires from Syngenta Flowers
The retirement of Senior Breeder Todd Perkins. | Syngenta Flowers
After more than 36 years of dedicated service, Todd Perkins, a Senior Flower Breeder at Syngenta Flowers, has retired.
Perkins grew up in a family passionate about gardening, so plants have been in his life for as long as he can remember. At university, Perkins was interested in building products and inventing, but wasn’t aware of plant sciences. Through his studies, he learned that all the tools that caught his interest applied to breeding. After that, he decided to be a plant breeder.
When Perkins started at Goldsmith Seeds in 1988, no viola hybrids were on the market. Once Perkins and a few other breeders started making crosses, they saw how hybrids could change the market. Hybrid violas had the performance and vigor to establish themselves in various environments, were fast to flower, and made the perfect bedding plant.
Perkins’ commercial hybrid viola breeding, fostered by young breeders’ support, led to the development of the popular Penny series. Soon, other breeding companies came to the same realization, and hybrid breeding became the gold standard for violas. He’s especially proud of Penny because it was the first viola series to incorporate several colors that weren’t native to violas. Since then, he’s built upon that breeding work to develop Penny Pro, a viola series better optimized for spring and fall production.
Perkins is a respected figure in the flower industry, having bred and introduced numerous breakthrough innovations to the market. His work spans many ornamental crops, including but not limited to Cleome, Antirrhinum, Salvia, Rudbeckia, Zinnia, Viola, and Pansy. His significant breeding accomplishments include AAS Flower Award Winners:
He has also received Greenhouse Grower Medal of Excellence awards for:
In 2010, Perkins earned the prestigious All-America Selections Breeders’ Cup Award, and in 2023, he earned the Greenhouse Grower‘s Industry Achievement Award.
Perkins’ approach to breeding is based on more than just science. He takes time to familiarize himself with what’s being used and sold, understand production dynamics, learn commercial growers’ pressures and limits, and see what the gardener wants. His ability to grasp growers’ needs has been instrumental in efficiently bringing his innovative varieties from concept to market, leading to the creation of several award-winning genetics.
Beyond his breeding work, Perkins’ contributions extended across multiple departments. He collaborated closely with the marketing team to ensure new varieties met market demands. Perkins worked with the supply chain team to train talent and strengthen the production of pre-basic and basic seeds. Perkins also served as an AAS Judge and an AAS Comparison Committee member from 2002 to 2025.
In recent years, Perkins has devoted himself to transferring his knowledge, experience, and expertise to the next generation of breeders, striving to ensure a bright future the flower business. Perkins advises the next generation, “If you love puzzles, you’re inquisitive by nature, and you’ve got a passion for flowers, go to school, because this is the best job in the world.”
Learn more about Perkins’ achievements and past work at SyngentaFlowers.com.
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