365 things to do in Worcester County - understand Gesneriad at Tower Hill Botanic Garden.
If you're into Gardening and Horticulture, this Workshop is not to be missed. It is being Held at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston today, Sunday, May 15, 2011 between 1:00 PM-2:00 PM
Tower Hill Botanic Garden
11 French Drive
Boylston, MA 01505
Judy Becker, of Lauray of Salsibury Greenhouses is a Gesneriad expert. She is of no relation to me so let's not get curious on that point. As an accomplished commercial grower Judy understands the wonderful family of Gesneriads. Gesneriads are often under appreciated, and misunderstood. Learn more about this wonderful family of plants, great for difficult spaces such as containers, shade gardens and the home. At the conclusion of the lecture Judy will have some special rhizomes and plants for sale.
If you can not attend, I have done some research to get you started on raising your own Gesneriad.
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.
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