The plant in the photo germinated in the spring. I've started them from seed in mid summer and spring. They like warm soil. My limited experience with starting this plant from seed is that the first year the top growth is VERY small and weak looking. After watching the same plant come back and perform beautifully the second year, my guess is that the first year it concentrates on root development. Good luck with your planting. Once this plant is established, it seems to be quite hardy and drought tolerant. ... Mary Here it is in it's second growing season. This plant bloomed and bloomed over a long period of time and many types of butterflies nectared on the blooms. You can judge the size of the plant by comparing the plant markers next to it. They are made from cut pieces of plastic mini-blinds.

Interesting thread, Adamark! That fluff always drives me crazy, and it's good to know it's not necessary to remove it, though I probably still will if I'm giving the seeds away. Sunrisedigger, I have Asclepias tuberosa 'Gay Butterflies' in several places in the garden, but here are my favorite combinations. Butterfly Weed with Geum 'Fireball'. The Geum is usually just finishing up as the Butterfly Weed is starting to bloom. Butterfly Weed with Daylily 'Black Eyed Stella' Asclepias tuberosa with Gaillardia 'Oranges & Lemons' Hope this helps some! Bonnie

The butterfly weed I sowed on February 20 germinated March 25 and took a hit during our frigid temperatures in early April. It is still tiny but seems to be hanging on. I think the stand from last year has emerged, but I'm not sure. I'm leaving it just in case. Lesson learned --- labeling plants (each one) is just as important in marking the site for re-emergence the following spring as it is for plant ID purposes. Congratulation, Nancy!! The sedum, purple majesty millet, and sunflowers you sent me have germinated, and I'm thrilled, too!!

I do check with Clothier's data on seed germination, it is helpful. A method that I came up with myself and use for germinating seed of prairie wiildflowers and grasses is to cover the seed once it is sown with a coarser perlite rather than a peat based germ mix which seems to smother the seed. This method is used for seed that requires a covering, some seeds need to remain uncovered and exposed to light for germination. I found that Sporobolus heterolepis (Prairie Dropseed) doesn't germinate at all when lightly covered with a peat based media - I got a few to germ that were left uncovered but I get high germ when the seed is lightly and evenly covered with perlite after it is sown. This tells me that prairie species need more gas exchange or exposure to the air while at the same time being covered so the seed is protected and does not dry out. I wouldn't worry too much about your seed germinating early in the fridge, I have Dictamnus albus and eryngium sprouting now in the seed trays that are in my refrigerator - the mice kept getting them in my garage - the cold temps will keep them from growing much and they will be taken out of the fridge in late March or early April to go out into a cold greenhouse to continue growing. Keep in mind that seed that requires stratification for germination can not be hurried along with warm temps! We aren't growing marigolds or petunias here. If you see no activity after you might expect to see signs of life, keep the seed colder longer rather than warming them up - most seeds will start to sprout while still chilled and germ best while at cool temperatures. Again, good luck! I wanted to add that some varieties that require stratification do only start to 'wake up' and grow once the temps warm up, like morz8 said - but not too warm - temps in the low 60's are better than say mid 70 or 80 degrees. Try to avoid quick extremes and no need for additives like wood ash or innoculants for germination - I've never used GA-3 myself and don't really see a need for it. There is no secret incantation or method that will make this process go much faster, it is one of those things that takes time. 'Tricky' things - violet species for example - germinate for me better when they are placed in a coldframe outside because the rain and snow are washing out the germination inhibitors that keep the seed from growing at the wrong time. That is my educated guess. I remember that when I grew Callirhoe involucrata from seed the germination was very erratic, seedlings slowly germinating in an outdoor seed bed for more than three years! This post was edited by jebfarm on Sun, Dec 28, 14 at 13:58