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 2008

The Gesneriad Society's
52nd ANNUAL CONVENTION
held in Denver, Colorado was a
great success.

Photo galleries of the award-winning plants

Photo galleries of other festivities- coming soon!

2009
Silver Spring, MD – June 30-July 4 - Hosted by the National Capital Area Chapter, at the Hilton Washington DC hotel
2010
Vancouver, BC, Canada – Hosted by the Vancouver African Violet and Gesneriad Society
2011
Philadelphia, PA - Hosted by the Liberty Bell Chapter

Chapter Shows and Sales

Sinningia speciosa 'Carangola'
Exhibited by Bill Price

What is The Gesneriad Society? 

We are an international association of people who enjoy plants of 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.

If you are a member of The Gesneriad Society, check out our special Members-Only section where we will be offering electronic copies of our Journal Gesneriads (formerly The Gloxinian) 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. If you are not a member yet, why not join us? Members receive a copy of How to Know and Grow Gesneriads, two back issues plus the next four quarterly issues of our acclaimed Journal featuring many articles and color photographs, and access to our Seed fund, the largest collection of gesneriad seed in the world. 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.

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. And please check out my Blog for further updates on the activities of our Society.

Peter Shalit, President, The Gesneriad Society