You need to give it some time. Mine take til the 2nd year to produce a few blooms. I think they are not mature until about year 5.

Depends on your growing zone. Here in zone 7a/b, we easily get flowers the first year after sowing in the late fall/early winter. I would give it at least two years in your zone since your growing season is so much shorter.

The sowing in late fall provides the two years of growth as many seeds will sprout during the winter but will not break the surface until growth conditions are the way the individual plant likes. Some plants will surface and do some growth, such as pansies planted from seed, during the winter then send up flowers in the spring. It depends on the plants.

Sorry I should have added that pansies are used only as an example since they are not native. Some plants of the same family, violas, are but not to my knowledge pansies.

Definitely do not toss your echinacea because it did not bloom the first year. A few perennials may bloom their first year but it is probably more comon in your zone for native perennials to bloom in their second or even third year from seed. I am growing an echinacea this summer that is "advertised" as blooming first year from seed, so that must be unusual for this species. Its name is 'Prairie Splendor' and I bought it from a spring botanical garden sale.

Here is a link that might be useful: echinacea Prairie Splendor

Do not toss them . they are very slow getting started but once they do breath taking and very hardy as far as heat goes .once established you can take pices of the root and make more plants so dont give up. p.s Itsworth ever bit of time you wait signed tropical breeze