American Society for Horticultural Science

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.

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core 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

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ResearchGatecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026ResearchGate 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 SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPi 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASHS 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)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorASHS 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 FutureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerASHS 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 ASHSminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional chapter serving members in northern U.S. climatic zones. Offers discounted regional dues and smaller regional meetings.
• Southern Region ASHSminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional chapter (website: rsrshs.org) serving members in southern U.S. climatic zones. Offers discounted regional dues and smaller regional meetings.
• Hyatt Regency DallasminorOthersHost venue for the 2026 ASHS Annual Conference in Dallas, Texas, August 3-7, 2026.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ASHSHorticulture
• Xx.com/ASHS_Hort
• Facebookfacebook.com/americansocietyforhorticulturalscience
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-society-for-horticultural-science

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American Society for Horticultural Science