I rarely start perennials from seed -- I'm too impatient, I'd rather start with a good-sized plant right out of the gate.

But, I have tried a few things here and there over the years. One that is really easy from seed is swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata). The trick is to cold stratify first -- germinates in a snap if stratified correctly.

I have good luck with Botanical Interests seed (including the milkweed), but here's a link to Prairie Moon, they have germination instructions:

Asclepias incarnata Rose Milkweed | Prairie Moon Nursery

Funny, I just purchased seed packets for a. incarnata, a. tuberosa and a. fasicularis at a local garden center this morning. I'll winter sow the incarnata and tuberosa. Thanks for the tip!

I did showy milkweed, butterfly weed in orange and a mix color of penstemon. They all worked out well. If I was you I would do the penstemon if you don’t have it. It was a great surprise and flowered well. I really enjoyed the mix of colors.

Thanks everyone. I'll look into these. I've never grown milkweed or penstemon from seed. I look forward to trying it.

I sow a lot of 'Prairie Splendor' echinacea, there's generally one or two superior seedlings.

FB, there are all so beautiful.

Echinacea are certainly easy, though I find they typically don't bloom the first year from seed (as often advertised). It's better if they don't anyway, and spend time growing roots and crowns.
Most perennials (not clematis, I'm looking at you) are pretty easy to start from seed. Even hateful ones like clematis, hellebore, and peony that have a complicated stratification cycle and take multiple years to show above ground aren't hard, just hard on your patience.
Plants evolved to grow, and they do that.

Malva Zebrina, for sure.

If it's just flowers you are looking for, try this:

https://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/tips_lists/perennials_first_year_flowers.html

I've successfully wintersown several perennials, but I don't think I have a "favorite" to start from seed, only because I usually only sow them once, lol. They're perennials, so once you have them you're pretty much set, ime.

FrozeBudd, as usual, gorgeous flowers and gorgeous pics. Are those all Prairie Splendor? What a variation - or is it just the photos that are varied? And how stunning, either way! Not only are the colors wonderful but they look so good. My echinacea are always hit with that damn oriental beetle. Even if the blooms aren't full of holes from being chewed on, they still look "dirty" - that's the only way I can describe them.

:)
Dee

For years, delphiniums had been a real favorite to sow in copious amounts. I had ordered directly from New Zealand and set out multiple long rows of seedlings ... WOW, I had many beauties! Though, delphiniums are work plants, meaning they must be staked ... otherwise, sure enough are toppled by summer storms while in peak bloom. When moving, I had selected twenty or so favorites and these only ended up perishing due to neglect. I did start again though, but seedlings being struck with masses of weird orange aphids so thick that I just worked them under, ugh!

Diggerdee, indeed all are 'Prairie Splendor', the variance among seedlings is what keeps me planting more, some can be rather outstanding! 'PS' has much going for it, not only is it very hardy and early summer blooming, but also first year flowering from an early indoor sowing, even way up north here with our shorter growing season.

This one has particularly nice dark cones

I thought that first pic was Pow Wow Berry, at first.

Wow FrozeBudd, once again your photos have left me speechless. Your combinations, as usual, are stunning.

I love that echinacea with the spikey green and pink petals! Is that something different, or just a stage of one of the PS? I would love a bloom that stayed like that!

:)
Dee

Shucks, you're tooo kind Diggerdee! ... but, really. the plant breeders and developers I give credit for bringing us all these wonderful flowers! The particular echinacea you mention, indeed that's a single plant and the stages the blooms pass through.

Okay, now how about 'Green Twister' ?

FB, so beautiful! How and when do you start your coneflowers?

FB I tried Green Twister from seed two seasons ago, but that was a terrible season for me, so I didn't have good luck with them. They are on my list to try again. LOVE the pink/green combo!

:)
Dee

Dee, I was thinking the same thing that once you start perennials you're usually set!

But those echinacea are worth starting again and again, and I'd love to see what all those delphinium looked like, wow! Selecting down to 20 favorites :)

I have a weakness for hellebores and chrysanthemum from seed. The chrysanthemums are nice enough to die out if I neglect them, plus in May they're easy to rip out because who wants chrysanthemums in May? But in September and October all is forgiven.

The hellebores are so much harder to toss. They never die but if your shovel is sharp enough it's easy to slice out the crown and leave the mass of roots behind to rot... of course then I stupidly think I can fit three new seedlings into the empty spot of one mature plant...

It's too late to plant hellebores now unless you keep them indoors for a few warm weeks before they go cold, but I've actually got to go out and collect chrysanthemum seeds today and then I'll probably sow them some time this month (in pots outside).

Primrose from seed is another fun one. Most of the older plants usually dry out and die over the summer but a smart gardener just always has a new batch of seedlings coming along... says the gardener who does not have a new batch of seedlings coming along.

Bellarosa, I sow the echinacea in early February, I do not utilize grow lights, though have some nice south facing windows. Currently, the asclepias tuberosa seeds are now stratifying, I love these, only wish to have other colors beyond orange.

Diggerdee, that's frustrating regarding the oriental beetle, seems there's more and more bugger insects to pester our plants! :( I hope 2021 shall be a very nice growing season for you!

Katob, ahhhh, chrysanthemums have been a favorite since I was a kid, only problem is that so few perform well this far north, sigh! I have but three hellebores and should purchase more! Primroses can be hit and miss depending on the winter snow cover, but yes, I'm currently germinating seeds of 'Supernova Mixture'

This yellow from the 'Crescendo Mixture' is a bit of a standout, the variety also being among the most hardy in general.

The below two I grew out of seed from Barnhaven Primroses

LOVED this one, though it up and rotted off at the crown during warm pleasant weather, I mourn its loss! :(

FB, your flowers are beautiful as always. Do you utilize the winter sowing method for starting your coneflowers?

Bellarosa, other than maybe scratching some seeds into the ground in late autumn, I otherwise stick to indoor sowing. I just research the particular seed requirements and pay good due attention and almost always have good results.

Kato, I had forgotten about primroses! And FB, your gorgeous photos reinforced why I always loved them. Mine have all petered out over the years. Perhaps it's time to sow some more!

:)
Dee

FrozeBudd: Those yellows are outstanding!

Diggerdee, have you possibly ever divided any of your favorite primroses, this will help to keep them going.

Gawdinfever, that yellow 'Crescendo' really is cream of the crop best of series, the reddish yellow being from the 'Tango' series from Barnhaven Primroses, though unfortunately as I had mentioned, I believe I've now lost the plant :(

Well that didn't help. I tried looking up old primrose pictures, remembered how nice they were, thought about how I killed nearly all of them, and then decided I really miss them. Sooooo logical next step is to visit the American Primrose Society and just take a peek at their seed exchange this year. Digital membership $25, up to 20 exchange seed packets at $1 each... 45 dollars later and I have more primrose seed than I'll ever need.

If I waited until March I could have skipped membership and selected from the leftovers. You can't beat 10 packets for $8 since many can't be found elsewhere and a good amount are straight from Barnhaven primroses in France. I'm always a sucker for the Cowichan primroses with their darker colors and lack a yellow eye.

Granet Cowichan:

They send to Canada but suggest a donation for the higher shipping costs... just saying :)

Some lilies are also fun from seed. I don't know why, but growing a bulb from seed always makes me super impressed with myself!

Regal Lilies will flower in two to three years, lilium formosum can flower the first year and will self sow around your garden if you let the seeds ripen.

Other lilies can take a lot longer...

Baptisia australis is a great one for me

"... I tried looking up old primrose pictures, remembered how nice they were, thought about how I killed nearly all of them, and then decided I really miss them. ,,,"

Omg, that was me too lol! Except I restrained myself from looking online. I think I have some old primrose seeds in my seed box I might try to sow.

Frozebudd, no, never did think to divide my primroses. Huh, guess I never realized that was an option...

:)
Dee

I grew Rudbeckia Cherry Brandy from seed this past summer. I suppose it’s a short lived perennial, but it was super easy to grow from seed. I had a problem with the bunnies eating it though after I transplanted it to my garden. It did much better in my raised bed where the bunnies couldn’t get to it.

Katob, yes, the Cowichans have always tempted and I really should give in at some point! I'm also a big lover of lilies, though have never raised any from seed. There's a well known lily breeder very nearby that has produced some beautiful creations of his own.

DiggerDee, indeed, primroses can get rather leafy after a few years with reduced blooming and benefit from digging and dividing and then allowing one to pass along some of the nicest to family and friends! :)

Just for fun, another photo ... sorry, I can't get enough of the 'Prairie Splendor' lol.

The Russian Yellow hollyhock is another star performer!

And, I love my seed grown heliopsis, this one being a unique dwarf with great foliage.

That Prairie Splendor is pretty, FBudd. How tall is it? And I do like Hollhocks, but that flower doesn't look like one. Is it a different variety?

I used to grow Delphinium from New Zealand from seed too. I wondered why I stopped but I guess it was the staking.. They are gorgeous though and while not difficult to grow from seed I did find the germination rate was not high.

Does anyone grow a tall Heliepsis that is sturdy and clean?

Regular Hollyhock is Alcea rosea from China. Yellow Russian Hollyhock is Alcea rugosa and originates from Ukraine. I grow a the straight, native Heliopsis, and it gets about 4 feet tall and stays mostly upright. What do you mean by clean Heliopsis?

On the Heliopsis - I mean, healthy foliage I guess. On th Hollyhock - the Russian is a little different than the regular hollyhock, which for me always got rust so I stopped growing them. The attraction being the huge blooms.

I used to grow the yellow Russian hollyhock, but removed them as the Japanese beetles LOVED them too much! As soon as they started to bloom, they would devour the flowers. We live next to a cornfield, and I'm thinking that's where those darn beetles are coming from. On the plus side, they never touched my coneflowers!

Prairiemoon, the 'Prairie Splendor' grows to 2.5 to 3 ft tall. The Russian Yellow hollyhock has good rust resistance and has remained clean and healthy in my gardens, it blooms like a fool as well. Thankfully, we yet don't have Japanese beetles here.

I really like 'Venus' heliopsis, bloom are large and plants are quite sturdy, though in wetter years can flop as this one had, it's worth the effort to stake though!

'Venus' heliopsis

Thanks FBudd - Wow - it really blooms! lol Very pretty, I'm going to have to find a place for another one. I had one that I ripped out because something kept happening to the foliage every year. And yes, I'm going to have to try to get that PS too. Do you grow a white one? It's been a long time since I had Coneflower but I used to have both.

Prairiemoon, I think aphids and a particular type of moth have now become a problem for some who grow heliopsis, always something new it seems to attack the plants! Currently, I have no white echinacea, though had grown 'PowWow White' in the past. Am considering sending away for more seeds, though really shouldn't ! lol.

I have started from seed Asclepius tuberosa and Iberis sempervirens, both of which were pretty easy for me. I have many more that I allow to selfseed around the garden.

Totally agree with everyone about Asclepias. A. t. is the only one I have grown from seed (winter sowing) but now I will try A. incarnata. Monarch cats eat the foliage of A. tuberosa but never to the point of defoliation unlike A. incarnata. My purchased plant was completely denuded two years in a row. I will try them from seed to get many plants.

Coeopsis 'Sunray' is a fun one because they usually bloom first year. I just gather seed from my own to start every couple of years since they bloom themselves to death every few years.

Centaurea dealbata, montana & macrocephala

Linum perenne

Lobelia cardinalis & syphilitica

Clematis integrifolia

Gaillardia especially 'Goblin'

Pulsatilla vulgaris

Lychnis (now Silene) coronaria & chalcedonica

All of these start easily with winter sowing.

There are others that take much longer to get a good sized plant such as Amsonia hubrichtii, Dictamnus albus & Platycodon.

There are others but these are some that I have had great success with that I don't think have been mentioned yet.

Peren.all -- I forgot about Coreopsis 'Sunray' - I enjoyed that plant for years. Very easy.

These were plants I winter sowed that I believe were pretty easy....

Dianthus

Penstemon

Callirhoe

Ascelpias incarnata 'Cinderella' and 'Ice Ballet'

Salvia 'Rose Queen'

Shasta Daisy

Agastache rugosa 'Honey Bee Blue'

Hosta

Then there are these that maybe are all Biennials, very much worth growing and easy....

Aquilegia

Lupine

Digitalis

Lavatera

Malva

Milkweed tussock moths will cover my asclepias and defoliate it before the monarchs have a chance to use it. I've been hand picking the tussock moth larvae but greatly increasing the number of milkweed plants I grow feels like a better option. Also, since common milkweed has larger foliage I think it provides more forage so I'm allowing that to spread from the roots.

cecily since I started growing A. tuberosa & incarnata the Monarch cats have ignored A. syriaca. I still leave some but it is almost pointless. I guess they have become connoisseurs lol!

Monarchs use my syriaca exclusively, possibly because that's all that's left after the tussock moths do their thing or possibly because the syriaca grows fresh foliage after early tussock moth defoliation. Monarchs arrive here in August while the moth larvae appears in June. Thus, the syriaca has soft, fresh leaves when the monarchs arrive.

Oh dear, I have started to see the tussock moth cats in the last year maybe two. I will need to be vigilant.

Lobelia siphilitica seeds itself all over the place. I started with 4 plants on one side of my property and within 3 years I had it everywhere..and have been battling it ever since. (zone 5a/b Muskoka, Ontario , 4 feet average snowfall, -15 C average winter temp, climate somewhat moderated by lake)

@frozebudd_z3/4 I love your photos as well! I saved seeds of my pow wow white and could send you some from Canada. DM me if you would like.

Some of my favourite first year blooming perennials from seed are:
Early sunrise coreopsis
Cheyenne spirit echinacea
Kensington mix dianthus
Astello indigo agastache

I think I'm going to cut my Asclepias syriaca back after flowering this year to give the Monarchs some freshly regrown foliage. Last year they ignored my syriaca and went exclusively for the A. incarnata too.

If a plant is available from seed thats how I prefer to get them, because you can make so many more plants for less money, especially if you are patient enough to wait for them to grow up. I've done Penstemons, Lobelias, milkweeds, coneflower, sunflowers, Rudbeckia, Senna, Lespedeza, Lupines, Silene, Geranium, goldenrods, asters, eupatoriums, joe pye weed, Gentian, Phlox, coreopsis, fleabanes, st john's wort, Liatris, mints, grasses, sedges, callirhoe, oak leaf hydrangea, bayberry, sweet pepper bush, and redbud.

Gargamel yes indeed Lobelia syphilitica seeds about rampantly but I am a blue fan (I also like the white). I try to deadhead in a timely fashion but I do not always succeed. I would not want to be without it. nh Babs is not a fan either for it's ability to seed but I also adore Rudbeckia triloba lol!

FB, what's the name of the beautiful pink phlox in your 3rd pic? You have a beautiful garden and I always enjoy seeing your garden pics!

Bellarosa, thank you, I really do love my gardens! The phlox pictured above is a reversion of 'Becky Towe' ... 'BT' is a variegated mutation of 'Windsor', in which I like every bit as much with its plain dark foliage.

'Windsor'

'Becky Towe' shown below :)

FB, thanks! They are both beautiful! I love phlox.