What is a gesneriad?

(pronounced either "guess-NARE-ee-ad" or "jez-NARE-ee-ad")

The gesneriad family contains over 2,500 species of plants. Perhaps the best-known member of the gesneriad family is the African Violet. 

Most gesneriads are from tropical and subtropical regions and are often found growing in humus-filled depressions or rock crevices, on humus-covered forest floors or epiphytically on tree branches. There is a wide variety of plant sizes, shapes, flowers and colors. This is a plant family of great diversity, and many grow under the same conditions we enjoy.

Some gesneriads have been hybridized extensively, resulting in hundreds of cultivars that can be quite different from the species. In addition to the African Violet, some of the more common gesneriads grown by hobbyists are the Florist Gloxinia (Sinningia speciosa), Lipstick Plant (Aeschynanthus), Goldfish Plant (Nematanthus), Cape Primrose (Streptocarpus), Flame Violet (Episcia), and Cupid's Bower (Achimenes). 

Gesneriads provide you with blooming plants of one variety or another throughout the year, an especially welcome sight on a cold winter day. 

Many of the easiest and most beautiful plants for the home or greenhouse belong to the gesneriad family.

Convention 2012

The Gesneriad Society's
56th Annual Convention
The Renaissance Hotel
515 Madison Street
Seattle, Washington, USA
July 3 - July 7
Hosted by the
Puget Sound Gesneriad Society

REGISTER NOW

Flower Show and Plant Sales
Open to the Public and FREE
Friday, July 6 - 9 AM to 5 PM (sales)
2 PM to 5 PM (show)
Saturday, July 7 - 9 AM to 12 PM (sales)
9 AM to 3 PM (show)

2013 (July 2 - July 6)
The Hyatt Regency on King
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Hosted by the Toronto Gesneriad Society

2014
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Hosted by the Tennessee Gesneriad Society

Chapter Shows and Sales

What is The Gesneriad Society? 

The Gesneriad Society is an international association of people who enjoy plants in the family Gesneriaceae. We grow, propagate, study, collect, breed, show, photograph, and judge these beautiful and fascinating plants. On our site you will find all sorts of information about gesneriads and our Society. We also have an online store featuring our publications and gesneriad accessories such as shirts, hats, and pins. Please take time to explore what we have to offer. If what you're seeking isn't here, it's likely to be found on one of our linked sites.
To get a sampling of what we are about, try a free subscription to our monthly e-zine, Gleanings. Sign up for Gleanings notification here. Gleanings is available to everyone – members and non-members alike. You can also view a sample issue of the Society’s journal, GESNERIADS, and read about the benefits of membership to find out more about the Society. We now are offering a "Green" delivery option – a good way to reduce paper and receive our journal in your email box. We have many local chapters where you can meet other gesneriad enthusiasts to share plants and information. We have gesneriad conventions, shows, and a program for training gesneriad judges. We sponsor gesneriad research by botanists who are furthering our knowledge of these plants.
If you are a member of The Gesneriad Society, check out our Members' Area where you will find electronic copies of our journal GESNERIADS and other goodies. Your user ID is your member number found above your name on your copy of our journal, and your password is your last name.
We have always been supportive of gesneriad researchers and students. This support is dependent on individuals doing their part with donations to the several funds that are used for scholarships, research grants, and student stipends to attend our annual convention.
We hope you enjoy our Website. If you have feedback or suggestions about our site, please contact our Webmaster. If you have feedback or suggestions for the Society, please contact me.

Paul Susi, President
The Gesneriad Society