Baylee Knutson

Syngenta Flowers

Associate breeder

What 3 to 4 professional and/or personal accomplishments are you most proud of?

• Completing my master’s degree in plant breeding and publishing two peer-reviewed papers.
• Running a half marathon in under two hours.
• Serving as a mentor to undergraduate students at the University of Minnesota pursuing careers in plant science.

What led you to work in the horticulture industry?

• I grew up surrounded by horticulture. My dad loved planting flowers in our yard every year, my grandfather had rows of fruits and veggies in his garden for each grandkid and, as a kid, I collected seeds from our morning glories to plant them again the next year. 
• Over time, I found horticulture to be a perfect mix of spending time with nature, working with my hands and experimenting to create something new.

What’s the best thing about your job? (Please select one)

• I get to do what I love, every day.

Describe to a 6-year-old what you do in life?

• My job is to create new colors and new kinds of flowers, and I do this by picking out and pairing the best-looking flowers that I think will make an even better flower.

What are your favorite hobbies?

• Running
• Painting 
• Gardening

When you’re not working, what are 2 to 3 things we could find you doing?

• Going for a run
• Playing a round of golf with my husband, Tyler

What are you (un)secretly good at?

• Playing the card game cribbage.

What are your top three bucket list items?

• Run a marathon
• Visit every country in Europe
• Attend a Formula 1 race

What’s your favorite plant variety and why?

• ‘Nirvana XDR Blackberry’ vinca because it’s an unexpected color and looks stunning everywhere I’ve seen it.

You’re buying a vacation package to anywhere in the world without a budget, where are you going?

• Norway. I would love to revisit Bergen and visit Trondheim for the first time.

Do you have any unusual talents, or can you tell us something interesting about yourself that other people may be surprised to find out?

• One of my first jobs in high school was driving the Zamboni at my local ice rink (and my husband also drove a Zamboni as one of his first jobs).

One thing you can’t live without?

• My cats.