Rooted in the Past, Blooming into the Future

There are countless tales of seeds growing into something extraordinary, from Jack’s towering beanstalk to the enduring legend of Johnny Appleseed. But this story of seeds is uniquely ours.

At the turn of the 20th century, Emil Welke emigrated from Germany, known for his growing skills of they cyclamen along with other plants to the United States, bringing more than just dreams of a new life. He carried with him a few precious Cyclamen seeds tucked carefully into his pocket. After settling in Milwaukee, he met and married Emma, and together they planted the seeds of what would become Welke’s Milwaukee Florist. Their first shop and greenhouse opened on 11th and Capitol, quickly becoming a beloved neighborhood fixture.

As the years passed, the business grew, first expanding to Garfield, then to North Avenue in the 1950s, and eventually to Elm Grove in the 1970s. Each new location carried with it the same dedication to beauty, quality, and care that Emil and Emma had first nurtured decades before.

The family legacy has blossomed across five generations, beginning with Emil and Emma’s daughter, Margaret, and her husband, Jack Lang. It continued with their sons, Bill and Curt, followed by Bill’s son, David, who later passed the reins to his daughter, Nikki. A member of the American Academy of Floral Culture, Nikki carries forward the family’s long-standing commitment to community connection while also embracing modern technology to move the business forward. Over the decades, the name has evolved from Welke’s House of Roses to Welke’s Milwaukee Florist, reflecting a broader and more inclusive floral vision.

And those Cyclamen seeds Emil brought from Germany? Under his skilled care, they thrived. Other growers, taken in by their beauty, would sneak clippings in hopes of replicating the plant. But what they didn’t know was that Cyclamen don’t grow from clippings — only from bulbs or seeds. That secret belonged to Emil, passed down like a family heirloom along with the passion and precision that still defines our work today.

For more than a century, Welke’s Milwaukee Florist has cultivated trust, tradition, and timeless beauty. We’re honored to continue sharing that legacy with the greater Milwaukee community, 125 years later and fully bloomed into the fifth generation.