The deal closed Sept. 30. Burpee will continue operating as a separate company and remain headquartered in Warminster, and CEO Jamie Mattikow will stay in charge, according to the announcement.

George Ball, who bought Burpee in 1991 and served as its owner and executive chair, said he sought a buyer that would look after the brand’s legacy. “Burpee is an unmatched, beloved brand in home gardening,” he said in a statement.

Mattikow said Burpee’s team was excited about the acquisition. He described Central Garden & Pet as committed to gardening and said its resources could help the company grow and create opportunities for employees.

Central Garden & Pet, headquartered in Walnut Creek, has operated in the pet and garden sectors for 45 years. Its garden brands include Pennington, Ferry-Morse and American Seed; it also sells products including pet food, fertilizer and aquarium supplies. The company reported $3.1 billion in net sales for fiscal 2025 and employs more than 6,000 people, mostly in North America.

Burpee remains closely tied to Bucks County as well as Philadelphia. It operates Fordhook Farm, a 60-acre experimental garden in Doylestown that the company says opens to the public once a year. W. Atlee Burpee bought the farm in 1888 and used it for seed trials.

The company helped popularize mail-order seed catalogs and developed varieties including Iceberg lettuce, Big Boy tomatoes, Snowbird sugar snap peas and Golden Bantam sweet corn. Its products are now sold online and in major retailers, alongside live plants and gardening supplies.

Burpee marked its 150th anniversary in 2026. Mattikow previously said consumers spent $242 million on Burpee products in 2025, a 120% increase from 2019. The companies did not disclose the terms of the sale in their announcement.