Carl Purdy , USA

Carl Purdy
(1861-1945) Ukiah, California


Carl Purdy established his nursery in 1879. He specialized in California natives. He started collecting native seeds, bulbs and plants in about 1875 when he was only in his teens, for a nurseryman in the eastern United States.

His first catalog was published in 1896. He also did landscaping in the San Francisco Bay area. He was especially interested in native lilies.

His grandson, Carl Mahurin wrote a biography of Purdy in 1941. It was published in local newspapers.

Carl Purdy died on August 8, 1945 at 84 years. His three children, Mary Purdy Robinson, Mabel Purdy Mahurin, and Elmer C. Purdy, carried on the business with his son as manager starting in 1925. The business was called Carl Purdy Gardens after his death.

There is no record of another Carl Purdy, gardener from USA. That means that so called "Purdy" cultivars are either really coming form Carl Purdy and were breed before his death in 1945 or the late Carl Purdy had nothing to do with them, they were just grown in - once his - nursery by someone else.

List of Sempervivum cultivars supposed to be bred by C. Purdy:

Big Red - 1976
Big Slipper - 1974
Purdy - 1961
Purdy's - 1-18 - 1961
Purdy's - 40-70
Purdy's 50 - 1961
Purdy's 50-5 - 1961
Purdy's 50-6 - 1961
Purdy's 60-1 - 1961
Purdy's 60-2 - 1961
Purdy's 60-6 - 1961
Purdy's 70-40 - 1961
Purdy's 90-1 - 1961
Purdy's 90-2 - 1961
Purdy's Big Red - 1961