Deanna - did you check the sprout chart for your zone on Wintersown.org website? It's got like every annual, perennial and vegetable with botanical name, common name, date WS and date sprouted information. I copied down the information for zone 6 into a MS Word document so I could enter my own sprout dates.
This is my first year to WS and I'm doing very few annuals so I can't offer any experienced advice. Hope someone chimes in who has first-hand information for you.

Hi Deanna,

I've done many Asclepias including Incarnata, Speciosa, Tuberosa, Curassavica, etc.

Mine have only germianted in June and even early July. I'm just a bit north of you in Nova Scotia, Canada, and I do live close to the Atlantic so have a bit cooler temperature since we are along the coast.

If you are concerned about the heat we are getting, move the containers to a dappled shade area.

Make sure you keep your soil moist. They like that, especially the Curassavica. It will grow to a fair size this year and if you wish, you can cut them back to 1 foot before the frost hits and overwinter them inside for a nice size plant next year. I put them in my basement where it's 5C all winter and they go a bit dormant. Just water a bit once a month during this period. Start bringing them out in March and water more, and then you can either use them for container plantings or for the gardens.

The other Asclepias will grow a bit this year. You might even see some Monarchs on them. I had a female laying eggs on my potted seedlings last year and they were only 5 inches tall.

Sometimes they are even slow to break ground even as mature plants. I always see that as an indication of when the seeds will germinate.

I'm sure they will germinate for you and bring many beautiful visitors to your gardens. :O)

Mine germinated in May last year, so it's too early for them just yet. I think it needs to be in the 80s for them to get going and they need warmth for a long time. At least that's what I have noticed. I don't have a single sprout of those yet.

I jinxed myself in a GOOD way! Just this morning I have one lonely Asclepias incarnata sprout. Now the tuberosa and speciosa need to catch up. Wonder how long that one sprout will be lonely? Our temps still look good for a few days with some rain coming. I'll wait a bit more before I sow curassavica.

Tiffy, thanks for the info. I've never overwintered a plant before, but with so many seedlings, why not start this year? I think I'll try it with the curassavica. It is so startlingly lovely, I can't resist!

I am kind of an Asclepias nut, and winter sow it every year. This year, the A. incarnata 'Ice Ballet' was the first to sprout and there are zillions of sprouts. This is nice because those seeds were garden-collected in 2007 and I've sent out lots in SASBE's (nice to know they are still viable). A. speciosa was next to sprout, and in the last couple days A. purpurascens and A. exaltata have sprouted. Still waiting on A. variegata.

2 years ago I sowed both A. tuberosa and A. curassavica on April 4th and they sprouted on April 24-25th. Obviously the tuberosa didn't need cold strat to sprout and curassavica is a tropical plant so it will require consistently warmer temps.

Here in New England we've had unusually warm stretches of weather in March and now April and we are being spoiled. I've got so many sprouts and they seem to be sprouting about 2 weeks earlier this year!

My Tuberosa popped today!!! Yay! I only had one plant from previous winter sowings and wanted way more so I sowed 4 containers. There's at least 100 seeds in those containers and two are sprouting like crazy. Oh joy! Oh bliss!!

Ooooo! You're good! When I said I had one sprout, I meant one...single...lonely Asclepias incarnata sprout. Now the others in that same jug and in the rest of the jugs need to catch up.

I found a couple of sprouts today myself. It's been hot and I've been watering. Tomorrow, 90.

My hairy balls have also sprouted. LOTS of them this year instead of the one. I planted some in my sister's flower bed yesterday. I suspect in a few months, I'm gonna have to tell her what I was laughing about all afternoon.

Too funny Token!!

Got to sow my Currassavica this week. Even though I have four big plants coming overwintered, I want MORE!!

Deanna,
The Tuberosa surprised me. I actually passed by the containers when checking for sprouts and then something caught my eye. I've never seen Asclepias sprout so early but this weather must have been just right. :O)

Token, I hope to get some of those gomphocarpus seeds this winter to sow. I've heard that I need to grow a pair, so I guess I should try winter sowing them. I don't why people think just a pair is enough, considering most landscape advice says you should have at least three. Last time somebody told me to grow a pair I told them I would winter sow them and they gave me a moronic look. Then I tried to explain winter sowing but it clearly made no sense to them. HA! And they think I'm the dumb one!

My tuberosa just sprouted today. Only one. Hopefully I'll get a few more. I moved one of my plants a couple of years ago and it hasn't bloomed since. I've read they don't like to be moved.

Brought a neighbor into my screened porch to show her all my lovely sprouts. I'm still trying to convert her.