In July 2013, the scientific community fascinated by plant vascular biology (PVB) was cordially welcomed to Helsinki, the capital of Finland, to discuss the latest advances in the field. This meeting was the Third International Conference on PVB, following the successful meetings organized in Taiwan and the United States. Approximately 200 scientists from all around the world participated in PVB2013, which was characterized by lively scientific discussions in a relaxed atmosphere. The meeting was rich in topics and disciplines covering vascular biology from the early embryo to the mature plant, from the root tip to aerial organs, all linked by an appreciation of the crucial connective role of vascular tissues in plant growth and development. In this report, we briefly summarize some of the contributions presented during PVB2013 focusing on the development of vascular tissues (Figs 1 and 2). This special issue also collects a number of exciting papers with a central theme of plant vascular development.