Gesneriaceae

Maybe hard to spell and pronounce at first glance, the plant family Gesneriaceae includes a number of well known house plants. Aswell as a large number of not so well known, but not necessarily hard to grow species. In this family we find african violets, cape primroses, lipstick plants, flame violets and many more. Altogether this family compromises about 3200 species and 150 genera.

Most species in this family produce a large number of small, often dust like seeds. When sown, these seeds should not be covered with soil since they need light to germinate. I recommend sowing seeds in a plastic container, filling it with an inch of regular potting soil and misting it moist but not soaked before sprinkling the seeds. Cover the container with a transparent lid, or plastic wrap to keep humidity up and let light in. After a while (usually in one or two weeks) you’ll see many tiny seedlings germinating in the container. With each sowing you almost always end up with way to many plants to keep all by yourself. The easiest method to get hold of new interesting species or hybrids is to order seeds. As a member of The Gesneriad Society or Gesneriasterna you are able to choose from a long list of seeds available.