All About Us

The Ritter Family History

The Ritter family has been in the horticultural industry for nearly 100 years. the family started growing vegetables and flowers in the early 1920’s. Over the years, the family expanded into growing annuals, perennials, holiday crops and houseplants.

Twenty-five years ago, Barry, third generation grower, carried on the tradition and started his own business, Ritter Perennials. Barry is one of the premier perennial growers in the Midwest. Many of the local independent garden centers stock Ritter Perennials. When not in the greenhouse, he travels the country to find new and unique varieties of perennials that will grow well in the extreme weather conditions of the Midwest. Some of the varieties he has introduced are Musa Banjoo–the hardy banana tree, begonia grandis and many varieties of heucheras.

Meet Our Family

Barry Ritter
Barry RitterOwner
Barry Ritter worked for the family business growing ground cover, annuals, perennials, house plants, etc. for several years. Then in 1992, Barry ventured on his own, introducing Ritter Perennials. He is one of the Midwest’s premier growers and has introduced many varieties of perennials to the area, including Musa Banjoo (hardy banana), begonia grandis, and several heucheras. Every year he attends horticultural conferences across the U.S to bring new perennial varieties back to our area. During the springtime, you can find Barry speaking on various perennial topics at local garden centers. He is also a frequent guest on KTRS radio station’s Saturday morning Home and Garden show with Dave Sherwood.
Ashley Ritter
Ashley RitterGeneral and Social Media Manager
Ashley Ritter earned her B.S. in Theatre and is a published and performed author and playwright. After enjoying her work in the theater for a couple of years, she felt the call to get back to her Ritter “roots”. As a 4th generation to join the family business, she is the General Manager of Ritter Perennials. She also puts her creativity and writing skills to good use by being our social media manager.

Ashley is a board member of LNAGSL.