American Society for Horticultural Science
The American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional society founded in 1903 that serves 2,400+ horticultural researchers, educators, students, and industry professionals across 60+ countries through three peer-reviewed journals, an annual conference, certifications, and community programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1903
- HeadquartersAlexandria, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What American Society for Horticultural Science does
American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional society founded in 1903 and headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. The society promotes and encourages scientific research and education across all branches of horticulture, serving 2,400+ members from more than 60 countries spanning academic researchers, educators, students, extension personnel, government workers, and industry professionals (growers, breeders, consultants, R&D managers). ASHS operates a platform business model built on three peer-reviewed open-access journals (JASHS, HortScience, HortTechnology), an annual conference attracting 1,000+ attendees, professional certifications (CPH, APH, PPH), and community programs including 50+ interest groups, a mentoring program, a Leadership Academy, webinars, and a podcast series. Its technology stack is commodity association-management software (YourMembership) rather than proprietary technology.
ASHS generates revenue through multiple streams: annual membership dues (Professional $135, Early Career $60, Graduate $40, Emeritus $55), conference registration and exhibitor fees, journal article processing charges, certification application and renewal fees, charitable donations to the ASHS Endowment Fund, and merchandise sales through the ASHS online store. The society's go-to-market is primarily community-led and event-driven, leveraging interest groups, regional chapters, webinars, twice-monthly E-News, and partnerships with related societies (Pi Alpha Xi, American Pomological Society, ISHS, Seed Your Future). Distribution occurs through the ashs.org website, journals.ashs.org, and the annual in-person conference that rotates U.S. cities (2026: Dallas). The organization is governed by a volunteer board of academic and industry leaders with a small part-time headquarters staff led by CEO Tracy Shawn.
American Society for Horticultural Science firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- American Society for Horticultural Science
- Legal name
- American Society for Horticultural Science
- Website
- https://ashs.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1903
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional society founded in 1903 that serves 2,400+ horticultural researchers, educators, students, and industry professionals across 60+ countries through three peer-reviewed journals, an annual conference, certifications, and community programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where American Society for Horticultural Science is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Alexandria
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
American Society for Horticultural Science business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual membership dues provide recurring revenue. Professional membership is $135/year, Emeritus $55/year, Early Career 2-year renewal $60/year, Graduate Student $40/year, Undergraduate complimentary. Members receive discounted conference registration, reduced publication fees, and access to member-only resources.
- Journal Publishing: ASHS operates three open-access peer-reviewed journals (JASHS, HortScience, HortTechnology). Members receive discounted publication fees. Non-members pay standard article processing charges. Additional revenue from publication packages, article pre-pay programs, and special issue proposals.
- Conference Revenue: Annual conference registration fees provide significant revenue. Registration fees are discounted for members. Additional revenue from exhibitor/sponsor fees, advertising, and specialty tours. The 2026 conference will be held in Dallas, Texas.
- Professional Certifications: ASHS offers professional credentials (Certified Professional Horticulturist CPH, Associate Professional Horticulturist APH, Practicing Professional Horticulturist PPH) requiring fees for applications, renewals, and continuing education units.
- Donations and Endowment: The ASHS Endowment Fund, established in 1982, receives donations at various levels (Century Club $25-99, 125-Club $125/year, Friend $100-999, Supporter $1000-2499, Patron $2500-4999, Spencer A. Beach Club $10,000-19,999, Liberty Hyde Bailey Club $20,000+). The 125-for-125 campaign aims to reach $1 million by 2028.
- Store Sales: The ASHS online store sells books, CDs, DVDs, conference materials, advertising space, and regional group memberships. Also sells certifications and study guides.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Professional Membership - Full professional benefits for individuals in horticultural education, research and application |
| Subscription | Annual | Emeritus Membership - For retired members with 10+ consecutive years of membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Early Career 1st Year Free - For those entering job market or postdoctoral positions upon degree completion |
| Subscription | Annual | Early Career 2-Year Renewal - For those completing their first free year |
| Subscription | Annual | Graduate Student First Year Complimentary - Free membership for graduate students |
| Subscription | Annual | Graduate Student - For enrolled graduate students at accredited institutions |
| Freemium | Annual | Undergraduate Student - Free throughout entire undergraduate career |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
American Society for Horticultural Science product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ASHS is a nonprofit professional society that delivers scientific publishing, member services, and community programming for horticultural scientists. Its core offerings include three peer-reviewed open-access journals (JASHS, HortScience, HortTechnology), an annual conference attracting 1,000+ attendees, professional certifications (CPH, APH, PPH), and member benefits such as mentoring, webinars, podcasts, career services, and 50+ interest groups across 60+ countries.
Product overview
American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) is a professional society, not a traditional product company. ASHS operates as a platform organization offering peer-reviewed journals, professional development services, and community programs. The core portfolio consists of three open-access peer-reviewed journals (JASHS, HortScience, HortTechnology), the annual ASHS conference, professional certification programs (CPH, APH, PPH), and member services including webinars, podcasts, mentoring, and a collaboration center. The organization generates revenue through memberships, conference registrations, publication fees, and merchandise sales through the ASHS Store.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science (JASHS) Peer-reviewed open-access science journal publishing fundamental horticultural science research, including mission-oriented research on various aspects of horticultural science.
- HortScience
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 2,400 members from more than 60 countries
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use American Society for Horticultural Science
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
American Society for Horticultural Science technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
American Society for Horticultural Science partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ResearchGatecoreResearchGate and ASHS announced a new Journal Home partnership in June 2026, expanding visibility and discoverability of ASHS journal content through ResearchGate's academic network platform.
- Pi Alpha Xi Honor SocietycorePi Alpha Xi recognizes junior and senior students with high scholastic achievement in horticulture. ASHS and Pi Alpha Xi have joined together to establish the Pi Alpha Xi National Endowment Fund supporting undergraduate and graduate students who are active members. ASHS staff (Jane Cerza) serves as Pi Alpha Xi Coordinator.
- American Pomological Society (APS)coreASHS coordinates with APS on membership and publications. The APS Chad Finn Ambassador Award is administered through ASHS. APS membership dues and publications are sold through the ASHS store.
- International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS)coreASHS coordinates ISHS memberships and sells ISHS dues through the ASHS store. ASHS representatives (Kim Hummer, Daniel Leskovar, Esmaeil Fallahi) serve on the ISHS Executive Council.
- Seed Your FutureminorASHS partners with Seed Your Future, a national coalition promoting horticulture careers, to provide internship and career planning resources for students. ASHS publishes Seed Your Future scholarship information and career resources.
- Northern Region ASHSminorRegional chapter serving members in northern U.S. climatic zones. Offers discounted regional dues and smaller regional meetings.
- Southern Region ASHSminorRegional chapter (website: rsrshs.org) serving members in southern U.S. climatic zones. Offers discounted regional dues and smaller regional meetings.
- Hyatt Regency DallasminorHost venue for the 2026 ASHS Annual Conference in Dallas, Texas, August 3-7, 2026.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
American Society for Horticultural Science competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- American Society for Microbiology (ASM): ASM is a much larger life-science professional society with the same operating model - peer-reviewed journals, annual meetings, certifications, advocacy, and member interest groups - making it a relevant structural benchmark even though it operates in a different scientific discipline.
- Crop Science Society of America (CSSA): CSSA is a peer scientific society focused on crop science, agronomy, and plant genetics. It shares ASHS's non-profit association model, peer-reviewed journals, and conference-based engagement and serves overlapping academic and industry audiences in plant and crop research.
- American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB): ASPB is a larger, established scientific society covering plant biology broadly, including horticulture-adjacent disciplines. It operates peer-reviewed journals, an annual conference, and member services that overlap with ASHS's offerings but at a much larger scale.
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): AAAS is the largest general scientific society in the U.S. and operates Science magazine, advocacy, and membership services that bracket against ASHS's narrower horticulture focus. It is a structural peer in terms of association business model, not a direct product competitor.
Direct peers
- American Pomological Society (APS): APS is a closely allied professional society dedicated to fruit science. APS membership dues and publications are sold through the ASHS store, the APS Chad Finn Ambassador Award is administered through ASHS, and the two coordinate on publishing and membership - making APS a tight peer in both mission and operations.
- International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS): ISHS is the global counterpart professional society for horticultural science, covering research, education, and industry. ASHS serves as ISHS's U.S. membership and dues coordinator, with ASHS representatives on the ISHS Executive Council, making them the most direct peer in scope and activities.
Others
- Seed Your Future: Seed Your Future is a national coalition promoting horticulture careers that partners with ASHS on internship and career planning resources for students. It is thematically aligned but focused on workforce pipeline and advocacy rather than peer-reviewed research publication.
Emerging players
- Botanical Society of America (BSA): BSA is a smaller scientific society for botanists, with overlapping academic audiences and similar journal- and conference-driven engagement. It serves as an adjacent peer in plant science professional membership, though not horticulture-specific.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
American Society for Horticultural Science social profiles
Digital presenceAmerican Society for Horticultural Science compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
American Society for Horticultural Science financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
American Society for Horticultural Science leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles23 records
American Society for Horticultural Science funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
American Society for Horticultural Science M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about American Society for Horticultural Science
What does American Society for Horticultural Science do?
ASHS is a nonprofit professional society that delivers scientific publishing, member services, and community programming for horticultural scientists. Its core offerings include three peer-reviewed open-access journals (JASHS, HortScience, HortTechnology), an annual conference attracting 1,000+ attendees, professional certifications (CPH, APH, PPH), and member benefits such as mentoring, webinars, podcasts, career services, and 50+ interest groups across 60+ countries.
Is American Society for Horticultural Science a public or private company?
American Society for Horticultural Science is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was American Society for Horticultural Science founded?
American Society for Horticultural Science was founded in 1903. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is American Society for Horticultural Science based?
American Society for Horticultural Science is headquartered in Alexandria, United States, in the North America region.
How does American Society for Horticultural Science make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are journal Publishing, conference Revenue, professional Certifications, donations and Endowment and store Sales.
Who are American Society for Horticultural Science's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are American Society for Microbiology (ASM), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) and American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Direct peers are American Pomological Society (APS) and International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS). Seed Your Future is listed as an others. Botanical Society of America (BSA) is listed as an emerging player.
Does American Society for Horticultural Science have an API?
No public API is recorded for American Society for Horticultural Science.