gesneriadsociety.org

The Gesneriad Society website (gesneriadsociety.org) is the online home of an organization devoted to gesneriad plants — the family that includes African violets, gloxinias, streptocarpus, and many lesser-known genera. It serves growers, collectors, and enthusiasts who want to learn about these plants, read the society's journal, shop for related items, find events, and stay in touch through its newsletter. If you are trying to confirm whether this is a plant society rather than a commercial store, the site's main sections make that clear.

What the site covers

The homepage presents the society's core activities through a few main areas:

• Shop — a section for purchasing society-related items.
• Our journal — the society's publication for members and readers.
• Upcoming Events — listings such as judged shows and sales. One example shown on the site is a Heart of America Gesneriad Society judged show & sale running 9:00 am – 2:00 pm.
• Subscribe to Gleanings! — a sign-up for the society's newsletter, Gleanings.
• 75th Diamond Anniversary Donation — a fundraising or anniversary appeal.

Who it is for

The site is aimed at people who grow or follow gesneriads:

• Growers looking for practical information and society resources.
• Collectors interested in the range of genera within the family.
• Enthusiasts who want event listings, the journal, and newsletter updates.

Practical notes

• A newsletter sign-up is handled through a mailing-list subscription link, and the site shows PayPal as a payment platform, so some transactions (such as shop purchases or donations) can be completed online.
• Event details are posted on the site, so checking the Upcoming Events section is the way to find shows and sales near you.

If your goal is to connect with other gesneriad growers, read the journal, or attend a judged show, this site is the society's central hub for those things.

The Gesneriad Society website (gesneriadsociety.org) is the online hub for a community focused on gesneriads — the plant family that includes African violets, gloxinias, and streptocarpus. Its main resources fall into four areas: a shop, a journal, a newsletter called Gleanings, and event listings, plus a donation page tied to the organization's 75th anniversary. If you are looking for plants, publications, or ways to connect with other growers, these are the sections to check.

Shop

The site's Shop section is the place to look for plants or merchandise offered by the Society. The homepage lists "Shop" as a primary heading, so it is one of the main entry points from the landing page. If your goal is to acquire gesneriad plants or Society-branded items, start here rather than browsing the journal or event pages.

The Journal

The site highlights "our journal" as a core offering. The Gesneriad Society publishes a journal for its members, and the website presents it as one of the primary reasons to visit. This is the resource to use if you want in-depth written material on growing, identifying, or showing gesneriads.

Gleanings Newsletter

Gleanings is the Society's newsletter, and the site includes a "Subscribe to Gleanings!" prompt on the homepage. Subscription is handled through a Mailchimp signup link (hosted at gesneriadsociety.us1.list-manage.com). If you want ongoing updates — event notices, Society news, and similar short-form content — subscribing to Gleanings is the most direct way to get them.

Events

The homepage includes an Upcoming Events section. One listed example is a judged show and sale hosted by the Heart of America Gesneriad Society, running 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Judged shows and sales are typical gesneriad events: you can see exhibited plants, learn what judges look for, and buy plants or supplies. Check the Upcoming Events section for dates and locations near you.

Donations

The site features a "75th Diamond Anniversary Donation" heading, marking the Society's 75th anniversary. This page is for members and supporters who want to contribute financially to the organization. The site's pricing signals show PayPal as the payment platform, so donations are processed through PayPal.

Quick Reference

How to Decide Where to Start

• Want plants or items: go to the Shop.
• Want to read about growing gesneriads: look at the journal.
• Want regular updates: subscribe to Gleanings.
• Want to attend a show or sale: check Upcoming Events.
• Want to support the Society: use the 75th anniversary donation page.

The site does not publish prices for shop items or journal subscriptions in the material available here, so check the individual pages for current costs and any membership requirements before committing.

The Gesneriad Society's website lists in-person events run by the Society and its regional chapters, and the type named most clearly on the site is the judged show and sale. A concrete example appears on the homepage: the Heart of America Gesneriad Society – judged show & sale, listed for 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. Events like this are posted on the site so both members and visitors can find out what is happening and when.

The event type shown on the site

The homepage's "Upcoming Events" section is where these listings appear. Based on the evidence available, the format to expect is a judged show & sale — a single event that combines two things:

• A judged show — plants are entered and evaluated, which is typical of society and chapter exhibitions.
• A plant sale — plants are offered for sale alongside the show.

The example listing pairs the event with a host chapter (Heart of America Gesneriad Society) and a time window (9:00 am – 2:00 pm), so a listing generally tells you who is hosting, what kind of event it is, and when it runs.

Why the events are listed

The site presents these listings for two audiences:

• Members, who may want to enter plants, attend, or support their chapter's event.
• Visitors, who may be looking for a local show or sale to attend and see gesneriads in person.

Because the listing is public on the homepage, you do not need to be a member to find out that an event is taking place.

What to check before you go

Event details on a homepage can be brief. Before traveling to one, confirm:

1. The date — the excerpt shows a time but not a full date, so check the full listing.
2. The location — the host chapter is named, but the venue may be listed separately.
3. Whether the sale and show run the same hours — the posted window covers the event as a whole.

Related pages on the site

If you want more than event listings, the homepage also points to:

• Shop — for Society merchandise or plant-related items.
• Our journal — the Society's publication.
• Subscribe to Gleanings! — a sign-up link for the Society's notification list, which is a way to hear about news and events.

For the most current schedule, treat the "Upcoming Events" section as the starting point and follow the individual listing for full details.

You can subscribe to Gleanings through the notification sign-up link on gesneriadsociety.org, which routes to the Society's mailing list hosted by Mailchimp. Beyond that newsletter, the site lists a journal, a shop, and upcoming events as other ways to keep up with Society activity. The steps below cover what to click, what to expect, and where updates also appear.

Subscribing to Gleanings

1. Go to gesneriadsociety.org and look for the "Subscribe to Gleanings!" heading on the home page.
2. Follow the notification link there. It opens a Mailchimp sign-up form for the Society's mailing list.
3. Enter your email address and confirm your subscription. Mailchimp typically sends a confirmation email before adding you to the list, so check your inbox (and spam folder) after signing up.

The form is hosted on Mailchimp, not on the Society's own domain, so the page will look different from the rest of the site. That is expected, not a sign you have left the right place.

What Gleanings Is

Gleanings is the Society's newsletter, distributed through its mailing list. The home page treats it as the main recurring update channel, separate from the journal. If you want periodic news rather than a full publication, this is the list to join.

Other Ways the Site Keeps You Updated

If your goal is only occasional news, Gleanings is the lightest option. If you want fuller coverage, the journal and events listings carry information the newsletter may not repeat.

Common Snags

• Confirmation email doesn't arrive. Check spam or promotions folders; Mailchimp confirmations are often filtered.
• You can't find the link. It sits under the "Subscribe to Gleanings!" heading on the home page rather than in a top-level menu.
• You want to stop updates. Mailchimp lists include an unsubscribe link in each email, so you can leave without contacting the Society.

What to Expect After Subscribing

You will receive Gleanings issues and related Society notices by email. Event announcements and journal content remain on the website, so subscribing does not replace checking the Upcoming Events or journal sections if those matter to you.

Gesneriads are the plants in the family Gesneriaceae — a large group of flowering plants that includes familiar houseplants such as African violets and gloxinias. The Gesneriad Society (gesneriadsociety.org) exists to promote their cultivation and study, which is why its site, journal, shows, and shop all center on this one plant family rather than on gardening in general.

What counts as a gesneriad

A gesneriad is any plant classified in the family Gesneriaceae. The family is best known for species and hybrids grown indoors for their flowers and foliage, and it is the shared botanical identity — not a region, growing style, or commercial category — that ties the group together.

Common examples include:

• African violets (Saintpaulia, now placed in Streptocarpus) — the most widely grown gesneriad.
• Gloxinias (Sinningia speciosa) — florist plants with large, bell-shaped flowers.
• Other Sinningia species — including the popular Sinningia hybrids grown for their tubular flowers.
• Streptocarpus — often called cape primroses, grown for their long blooming season.
• Episcias, Kohleria, Achimenes, and Columnea — trailing or rhizomatous gesneriads favored by collectors.

If a plant is in Gesneriaceae, it is a gesneriad; if it is not, it is not, regardless of how similar it looks on a shelf.

Why the Society focuses on them

The Society's purpose is to promote the cultivation and study of gesneriads specifically. That focus shows up in what the organization actually does:

• A dedicated journal — the Society publishes our journal, giving members a place for cultivation articles and study of the family.
• Shows and sales — events such as the Heart of America Gesneriad Society judged show & sale (listed as 9:00 am – 2:00 pm) let growers exhibit plants, have them judged, and buy material.
• A shop — the site's Shop section supports the same mission by offering gesneriad-related items.
• Anniversary support — a "75th Diamond Anniversary Donation" heading indicates the Society has been operating for decades and accepts donations to sustain its work.
• Updates by subscription — a "Subscribe to Gleanings!" section and a notification signup let people follow news and events.

In short, the Society is not a general houseplant club. It concentrates on one family so that growers can find information, events, and plants specific to gesneriads.

Who this is for

This focus is useful if you already grow African violets, gloxinias, or other gesneriads and want deeper, family-specific information, or if you are deciding whether a plant you own belongs to the group. If you are looking for broad indoor-gardening content across many plant types, a single-family society will feel narrow by design.

Practical next steps

• Identify your plant first. If it is an African violet, gloxinia, Sinningia, Streptocarpus, or another Gesneriaceae member, the Society's material applies directly.
• Check the journal for cultivation and study content tied to the family.
• Look at Upcoming Events for judged shows and sales near you, which are a way to see plants in person and buy them.
• Use the Shop for gesneriad-related items.
• Subscribe to Gleanings! or the notification list to hear about new content and events.

Note that the site shows PayPal as a payment platform and a subscription/notification signup; whether any specific item or membership is free, paid, or requires login is not stated in the available material, so check the relevant page before assuming.