They don't really require stratification, but if in doubt, always good ;0 Give them three weeks in 70F (longer if cooler).

Perennials and biennials usually take longer to germinate than annuals. Rudbeckia Hirta is a biennial that takes up to 2 weeks to germinate. They germinate at a cooler temperature of 70 to 75 degrees so I hope you don't have them on a heating mat

^^ No, not heating mat, but it is pretty warm down there on the light cart. Guess I"ll have to exercise patience.

I had rudbeckia hirta Sahara seeds germinate in 7 days under lights, no heat mat, but am having a hard time with echinacea pow wow wildberry, go figure.

FOREVER! Well, it feels like forever.

B Maggic, echinacea usually germinate in about 7 to 12 days for me.

Thanks FrozeBudd, yes my usual echinacea does on that time too, just this cultivar isn’t for some reason. I got only 2 seedlings from 3 different sowings of about 10 seeds each time. Those 2 better make it!

'Pow Wow Wildberry' is a good one and I hope those two plants make it for you ! :)

I just throw them on the ground and they seem to do fine.

Here were mine gone a bit wild last year:

Some Echinacea requires stratification.

I checked again this morning --> nothing.

Where did you get your seeds from?

I'm just curious about what the offspring from those freakishly manipulated blooms will look like? Anyone have any predictions?

I either got them from Stokes or Johnny's (don't remember which off the top of my head, but I ordered from both of them this year)

"freakishly manipulated"

I'm not sure I'd use that terminology :-) About as manipulated as they get is selecting and isolating various plants based on coloring or marking and then saving the seed and replanting to see how consistently they come true to form.

Jay--It depends on how hybridized they are and what grows near them and how strong their genetic make-up is. I grow Rudbecjia Cappuchino and they reseed true to form. I had a small red Rudbeckia growing near Goblin Rudbeckia. I wanted more of the small one so I saved seeds and planted them. What I got was a jumble of different colors and plant height. A very few resembled the plant I'd taken the seed from. Most were a combination of goblin and the red one in color and height. Some were tall and weedy. They showed a variety of genetic diversity and most ended up in the garbage

Well, I am chucking some seed around today (a freebie so not unduly fussed). No heating, lighting or indeed, much attention once they have left the palm of my hand...but I will check back to report on timing following the no-care method.

First showing today...so around 18 days till germination.

Got only three seeds of twenty to germinate from 'Chocolate Orange', seed source being OSC Seeds. Hadn't done anything different with these, though maybe temperature had been a bit higher.