Welcome to The Gesneriad Society and our website. I hope that you will enjoy your visit!

If you aren’t a Gesneriad Society member, you will be able to get a sampling of what we are about by trying a free subscription to our monthly e-zine, Gleanings (sign up for Gleanings notification here), which 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. All visitors are invited to look for local chapters and events where you can meet other gesneriad enthusiasts to share plants and information. We also have an online store featuring our publications and gesneriad accessories such as shirts, hats, and pins.

Members are urged to check out our Members' Area where there are high-resolution PDF copies of our journal and other goodies. Your user ID is your member number found above your name on the journal mailing label, and your password is your last name. 

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

Convention 2013

The Gesneriad Society's
57th Annual Convention
Hyatt Regency Toronto
370 King Street
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
July 2 - July 6
Hosted by the
Toronto Gesneriad Society

REGISTER NOW

Flower Show and Plant Sales
Open to the Public and FREE
Friday, July 5 – 9 AM to 5 PM (sales)
2 PM to 5 PM (show)
Saturday, July 6 – 8:30 AM to 12 Noon (sales)
8:30 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 (July 1 - July 5)
DoubleTree by Hilton Nashville Downtown
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Hosted by the Tennessee Gesneriad Society

Chapter Shows and Sales

What is a Gesneriad? 

The gesneriad family   (pronounced either "guess-NARE-ee-ad" or "jez-NARE-ee-ad") contains over 3,200  species of plants. Perhaps the best-known member of the gesneriad family is the African Violet. 

Most gesneriads are from tropical and subtropical regions around the world 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, leaves, flowers and colors. This is a plant family of great diversity, and many grow under the same conditions we enjoy.

In addition to the African Violet, some of the more common gesneriads grown by hobbyists are Sinningia speciosa (the Florist Gloxinia), Aeschynanthus (Lipstick Plant), Nematanthus (Goldfish Plant), Streptocarpus (Cape Primrose), Episcia (Flame Violet), Columnea (Flying Fish Plant) and Achimenes (Cupid's Bower). 

Gesneriads can 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.