Facts About Gesneriaceae

Still sometimes unknown, the Gesneriad family consists of more than 2500 species of plants. Some are more known than others; perhaps the African Violet is the most well-known. Although many already grow this common plant they are ignorant of which family of plants it belongs to and how many more beautiful plants can be found within the same family. Many of these are easy to grow and indeed grow best in the same climate as we keep inside our homes.

The Gesneriad Family’s Wide Range

There are, as mentioned, literally thousands of species within this family, and so of course there is a great variation in between them. The smallest one, which can be grown in a little thimble, is the Micro Mini Sinningia whereas the bigger ones can even be found in the form of small trees. However, the most common ones are somewhere in between.

The list of Gesneriads is very extensive. Included in it are the more commonly grown ones, such as mentioned, the African Violet, with the Latin name of Saintpaulia, but also species such as Cape Primrose, known by its Latin name of Streptocarpus and Florist Gloxinia, or Sinningia speciosa in Latin, just to mention a few of them. There are also much more uncommon ones which require special care to be able to grow inside a normal home.

General Advice on Care of Gesneriads

In Sweden Gesneriads are often referred to as the ‘pot plant family’ which gives an idea of how easy to manage most plants in this family are. A general advice is to keep them out of direct sunlight, as most of the plants have dark green and often slightly furry leaves. If they are placed in direct sunlight they will get burnt.

With regards to watering, it is best to water the plants from underneath and let the soil soak it up. Most of the plants in the family want to dry up slightly in between waterings, although not dry out completely. Be careful not to water too extensively either, as this will kill off many of the plants as surely as if they are too dry. However, most of them can take some maltreatment without dying too quickly.

It is advised to mix the soil for seeds and plant cuttings with vermiculite, a mineral product which helps to keep the moisture in the pot as well as making the soil airy. This assures that small plants which otherwise easily dry out will stay damp longer, but not be soaking wet. For slightly bigger plants perlite, a vulcanic glass, is recommended as this makes the soil porous so the roots of the plants will not choke.

Wilting Plants – Often Completely Normal

Do not be alarmed when the plants suddenly wilt and seem to die. This is normal for quite a fair number of gesneriads. The reason is that when they grow they produce something called rhizomes or bulbs, and when the autumn arrives they wilt down into these to get some winter rest. A rhizome looks a lot like a piece of thick root. When this wilting happens, just cease watering for a while, then take the rhizomes out and replant them a couple of months later and a new plant will sprout.

These rhizomes and bulbs are also a way of multiplying the plant collection since one plant often produces several new rhizomes every year. Other ways to get more plants are to cut off small parts as sprouts and plant them. They’ll soon grow roots. To assist them they may be put in water for a few days before planting them. Some plants can also be reproduced by just using a single leaf and plant that and of course the plants can also be reproduced by seeds.

Further Information about Gesneriads and Where to Get Them

The Gesneriad Society is a great place to start if one is interested in this fun and grateful family of plants. There one may become a member, and will then receive their magazine and get more tips on how to grow these plants. It is also possible to buy and trade plants with other members.

Sometimes older houseplant books also contain information about some of the species within this family, as they have been popular for quite some time, but seems to be forgotten in modern plant books. Have a look in the library in the flower section as they tend to still have older books.

Plants are, as mentioned, possible to get from other people interested in this family- and they tend to have more uncommon ones. Sometimes one can find them in normal flowershops, in more well sorted ones it is also possible to find some more uncommon ones. Otherwise eBay is actually a great place to find and buy flowers in this family (as well as other flowers of course).

Sources:

The Gesneriad Society

Gesneriaceae Research, National Museum of Natural History

The Genera of Gesneriaceae

Gesneriaceae: A Scientific Perspective

The Gesneriad Reference Web