Growers Award Program

The NJAS Growers Award Program (GAP) exists to:

Encourage members to integrate live plants into their aquascapes and filtration.
Recognize the talents and achievements of our members.
Provide a better selection of plants at our auctions.

The Achievement Program

Levels

Points accumulate across every species you propagate — awarded once per species, by submitting propagations at NJAS events with an auction.

1Grower
propagations in ≥2 categories75 pts

2Advanced Grower
≥3 categories to date150 pts

3Expert Grower
≥5 categories to date300 pts

4Master Grower
≥6 categories to date500 pts

5Grand Master Grower
≥7 categories to date1000 pts

6Frank Zillitto Award
≥8 categories to date1500 pts

7Title to be announced
≥10 categories to date2000 pts

Members can also earn 2.5 points for a Reporter article on aquarium plants, 5 points for participating in a panel on plants, and 10 points for presenting a program. Special plant-related projects may earn bonus points at the GAP Chair's discretion.

Key rules

How points are earned

To receive GAP credit, a member must propagate a viable, auctionable, identified plant — simply maintaining a plant, or growing it larger, is not sufficient.
Propagate: either (1) non-sexual reproduction from cuttings, offshoots, runners, or plantlets; or (2) sexual reproduction by pollination from a member's own plant.
Viable: the propagated plant has its own root or rhizome system, able to grow independently if re-planted.
Auctionable: the propagation is of sufficient size, quality, and quantity to make a reasonable auction lot. Lots may be rejected at the GAP Chair's discretion.
Identified: members must identify their plant and list the genus and species (or hybrid cultivar) on the GAP form. GAP Chairs can help with identification, but many plants look alike under different growing conditions.
Points are awarded only once per species.
Decisions by the GAP Chair are final.

The Specialist Certification Program

Specialist categories

14 categories, based on number of species propagated within a category, not points — designed to recognize expertise in one area, especially for members with smaller setups or limited water conditions. Achievement Program plants, multiple propagations, and pond-grown plants are automatically credited here too.

Category	# Species	# Propagations	Notes
Stem Plants	5	10	—
Echinodorus (Amazon Swords)	5	10	—
Aponogeton & Crinums	5	10	—
Cryptocorynes	5	10	—
Floating Plants	5	10	Including ferns
Rosette Plants	5	10	—
Anubias & Lagenandra	5	10	—
Ferns & Mosses	5	10	Non-floating
Aquarium Flowering or Seed Development	5	10	Auction not necessary — a photo of the flower/seeds is OK
Aquarium Waterlilies	5	10	At least 2 genera required
Ponds & Tubs: Hardy Waterlilies	5	10	Tuber division with leaves
Ponds & Tubs: Tropical Waterlilies	5	10	Corms/plantlets raised in an aquarium to sprout count
Ponds & Tubs: Pond Plants	5	10	Only 2 plants from the GAP list permitted; 3 must be potted
Marine Plants	5	10	Grown by any method

The handbook's prose says "13 different plant categories," but the table itself lists 14 (shown above) — a small inconsistency in the source document, not something simplified here.

Plant Point List

Look up your plant

Type a genus, a species, or just a category name — matches are ranked most-specific first.

Searches 299 rules transcribed from the official GAP handbook's plant point list.

Can't find your plant, or think a match is wrong? Email the GAP contact → — this also covers Aquarium Flowering/Seed Development and the three Ponds & Tubs categories, which don't have a species list in the handbook at all.

Thinking about growing something new?

Find a grower

See who in the club has already propagated a plant — good people to ask before you start.

Not seeing anyone, or want to ask directly? Email the board → or browse member profiles on AquaristSpecies.net — someone may be growing it even if they haven't submitted for GAP points yet.

Live standings

Where everyone stands

Computed automatically from logged propagations — nothing here is hand-totaled. (Names and numbers below are illustrative until real GAP records are loaded in.)

See a number that looks wrong, or don't see yourself listed? Email the GAP contact →