Druse: Sow outdoors in Fall, or sow indoors 70-75F for germination in 7-14 days. plants.usda.gov: buttonbush seeds are ready for collection in the fall when they have turned reddish-brown. No pretreatment is necessary. Sow seeds into moist, humus soils in full sun or part shade. Clothiers: Cephalanthus occidentalis , Buttonbush ,zone= 5 , sow @ 70ºF

Hi! I have just received hesperaloe parviflora-red yucca seeds as well. This is the information I have found: For sowing, use a gritty mix of peat, cocofiber, vermiculite and perlite, sand or similar media. Fill shallowly in trays or pots and sow the seeds on the surface. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil, about as thick as the seeds are. Label with species name and date. Do not cover with plastic or glass. Place trays or pots at temperatures between 25 and 30°C (75 to 90°F) in a brightly lit spot but out of full sun and keep slightly damp but never wet. Seeds will sprout reliably after a few days or weeks. When the seedlings are well established, plant them in individual pots, using a very well drained medium, label, and place in bright light. Once rooted, with few exceptions, they can take full sun in all but the hottest climates. Feed and pot on as required. Excellent drainage is essential for most Agaves and Yuccas Good Luck! Kat

I received seeds in trade and ONE has sprouted out of the 8 I planted indoors. However, it may have something to do with the cool spring we've had here...maybe I need to pull out the heated seed mat. I guess it's not common to have a high germination rate though. Here is a thread I cam across in another forum: http://www.wildlifegardeners.org/forum/north-american-native-plant-propagation-winter-sowing/3982-propagation-cephalanthus-occidentalis-button-bush.html If you want some of my seeds let me know. they may work better for you. Tony

Mine aren't growing nearly like they have in the past, but then this has been the coldest spring we've had since I planted them. They may be able to withstand northern winters to the extent that they come back eventually, but it takes some warmth for them to get going, apparently. My big group of false nettles is in a spot that was mostly shady when I planted them, but now only about half of them get any sun at all - there are nearby trees that have shaded out parts of the group completely. Red admirals have always favored this patch over the ones growing elsewhere. I assume it's because the leaves are more tender in this group, because they have always been in a mostly shady spot. There are some in my garden, but they get a lot of sun and their leaves are tougher - I rarely ever find RA nests on them. So, it appears that they like mostly shady spots, but not total, deep shade. As we all know about gardens, things change, trees grow and change the situation. There is another damp spot about ?25' from the original group where I'm transplanting those that aren't getting any sun. The 'no sun' plants are also being overrun by blackberries and other weeds. So, I plan to pull out (still more than I already have!) wild blackberries, but I think I'll wait until after I harvest the fruit. By the way, I wouldn't describe the false nettles in my garden as growing in real wet spots - most grow at ground level in between the raised beds. They don't ever get completely dry, because, being in the garden and near the hose, when it gets dry out there, I water everything, including the false nettles. The nettles in the colony that I haven't transplanted that still get some sun are growing fast, now that the temps are in the 80's every day. And the seedlings at their base are starting to grow, also. Interestingly, there are some trees and shrubs that seem to have benefited from the cold winter, having made more new growth this spring than I've ever seen. But false nettles aren't in this group. I only have ONE red admiral caterpillar, and it's a small one! By this time of year, I usually have released some RAs, while I'd still be feeding a dozen or so in my cages. 'Not a good year for FN or RAs. In happier red admiral times - Sherry