11 Flowers to Start From Seed in January

Don't let the January cold get you down. Even though it's chilly outside, you can kick off your flower garden by starting seeds indoors. Here are some of our favorites that you can get growing now!

Calendula 'Zeolights' with pale orange and peach petals, ruffled edges, and dark centers surrounded by green leaves.

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It may be chilly outside, but you can still use the month of January to get your flower seeds started. Many flowers are prime for sowing several weeks or months ahead of the spring weather.  

A significant factor in seed starting is your particular climate zone. Naturally, those in Zones 8 and higher may already have some seeds started. If you’re living in Zone 3, you probably have a little while before you get to your last frost date.

It’s always a good idea to read your seed packets to determine what time of year you should sow each different type of seed. Most will give a range of between one and three months, with specifications for each zone.

Most seeds need soil temperatures around 65°F (18°C) to germinate. That means that in most places, you won’t be directly sewing seeds in January unless you are winter sowing. No matter your zone, make sure that you’re starting your indoor flower seeds in a warm spot that is protected from harsh January weather.

All the seeds I’m recommending should be good to start from 8 to 10 weeks ahead of your last frost date. If you live in a warm climate, go ahead and get started on these as soon as possible. For those in cooler climates, now is at least the time to start thinking about it and gathering the materials you’ll need.

Echinacea

Purple Coneflower Echinacea Seeds

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Purple Coneflower Echinacea Seeds

Calendula

Zeolights Calendula (Pot Marigold) Seeds

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Zeolights Calendula (Pot Marigold) Seeds

Aster

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Bonita Top Blue Aster Seeds

Aster ‘Bonita Top Blue’

Callistephus chinensis with vibrant purple petals arranged in layers and bright yellow centers.
‘Bonita Top Blue’ is a rich, beautiful blue-violet color with strong stems.
common-name common name Aster ‘Bonita Top Blue’
botanical-name botanical name Callistephus chinensis ‘Bonita Top Blue’
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 30”-36”
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-11

Sweet, lovely Asters are slow growers that bloom later in the year. Not only do they provide late-season color, but they also serve as a great food source for pollinators going into the winter dearth. You can get these started indoors about eight weeks before the average last frost state. You can plant another round in late summer if you want winter blooms and mild climates. 

In January, start your aster flower seeds indoors. If you decide on summer planting, you can directly sew them in the garden. ‘Bonita Top Blue’ is a rich, beautiful blue-violet color with strong stems, making them great for the cutting garden. They have a long vase life as well. 

Calendula ‘Zeolights’

Calendula officinalis with golden orange and yellow petals, slightly curled edges, and green foliage.
This is an unusual cultivar with stunning bronze petals and a darker underside.
common-name common name Calendula ‘Zeolights’
botanical-name botanical name Calendula officinalis ‘Zeolights’
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun
height height 12”-24”
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-11

Calendula is sometimes called pot marigold, but they are not the same plant. You may have seen this flower used as an ingredient in skincare products and teas. It has many therapeutic uses and was first found recorded for these purposes in Ancient Greece. It’s also a pretty little plant with cheerful blooms and good cold tolerance. 

In Zone 9, I can grow this in a greenhouse during the winter. You may want to hold off for another month in cooler climates, but their cold-tolerance may surprise you.  ‘Zeolights’ is an unusual cultivar with stunning bronze petals and a darker underside. The blooms are also edible and have an herbal fragrance. 

Purple Coneflower

Echinacea purpurea with bright pink, drooping petals and prominent orange-brown cones growing on green stems.
The purple coneflower features drooping petals and prominent orange-brown cones.
common-name common name Purple Coneflower
botanical-name botanical name Echinacea purpurea
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 3’-4’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 3-8

Echinacea is another plant that is often lauded for its health benefits. It’s also an excellent pollinator plant and overwintering birds will snack on the seed heads if you leave them intact. They are easy to care for and perennial in Zones 3-8, though you can grow them as an annual in warmer climates. Mine return in the spring, and I’m in Zone 9.

If you start these early and indoors, there’s a good chance they will bloom in their first year. Start as many as three months ahead of your last frost date. Purple coneflower is native to much of the Eastern United States. They are drought-tolerant and unbothered by humidity. 

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Four O’Clocks ‘Marvel of Peru’

Mirabilis jalapa with vibrant magenta tubular blooms and pointed green leaves.
It is a multicolored variety in pink, yellow, red, and white.
common-name common name Four o’Clocks ‘Marvel of Peru’
botanical-name botanical name Mirabilis jalapa ‘Marvel of Peru’
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 24”-48”
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 9-11

4 o’clocks are warm-weather perennials, but you can grow them as annuals just about anywhere. Careful growing them where they are invasive, though, as they’ll take over quickly. They’re lovely plants that have a vintage vibe. Plant near an outdoor living space to enjoy the sweet fragrance they release in the late afternoon when they bloom.

These make a nice low hedge and look great in large containers. They re-seed, so even in cooler climates, you may get some coming back the next year. Hummingbirds love their tubular flowers. ‘Marvel of Peru’ is a multicolored variety in pink, yellow, red, and white. Get these started about two months before your last anticipated frost. 

Gomphrena ‘Lavender Lady’

Gomphrena globosa with round, purple blooms and slender green stems with small leaves.
This cultivar has pinkish lavender bracts and tiny white flowers hiding within.
common-name common name Gomphrena ‘Lavender Lady’
botanical-name botanical name Gomphrena globosa ‘Lady Lavender’
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun
height height 24”-28”
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-11

Gomphrena tends to be overlooked, but it’s a great little drought-tolerant plant, and pollinators love it. Start the seeds for this annual flower indoors about two months before that last anticipated frost, around January for zone 8. Once they are established, they can handle a lot of heat.

The flowers are quite small but surrounded by fluffy purple bracts. Some varieties come in other colors. ‘Lavender Lady’ has pinkish lavender bracts and tiny white flowers hiding within. These also make good cut flowers, and they dry nicely, retaining a lot of their color.

Lavender ‘Munstead’

Lavandula angustifolia with dense spikes of deep purple inflorescences and thin green leaves.
‘Munstead’ is the most common type preferred for culinary use.
common-name common name Lavender ‘Munstead’
botanical-name botanical name Lavandula angustifolia ‘Munstead’
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun
height height 12”-18”
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 5-9

Lavender is a perennial that blooms through the summer. This Mediterranean native likes poor soil and doesn’t mind drought or heat. Avoid fertilizing it for better flower power. This is a slower-growing plant so it should be planted as early as possible.

Munstead’ is an English lavender, which is the most common type preferred for culinary use. This heirloom was introduced in 1916. It works well in containers as it’s a smaller variety. It still has plenty of that wonderful lavender fragrance.

Lobelia ‘Cascade of Color’

Lobelia erinus with small, cascading blooms in shades of blue, pink, purple, and white.
It’s a long-blooming plant that flowers prolifically in shades of pink, blue, purple, violet, or white.
common-name common name Lobelia ‘Cascade of Color’
botanical-name botanical name Lobelia erinus ‘Cascade of Color’
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 6”-8”
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 10-11

Lobelia is a tender trailing perennial in warm climates, but it’s treated as an annual in most places. It’s a long-blooming plant that flowers prolifically in shades of pink, blue, purple, violet, or white. They tend to bloom less in the heat of summer and rebound as the temperature goes back down.

‘Cascade of Color’ is a beautiful heirloom cultivar with multicolored blue, red, white, and purple flowers. Start these indoors about 10 weeks ahead of your last frost date. They germinate between 60 and 70°F (16-21°C). They’re trailing nature makes them an excellent container plant, and they look beautiful in hanging baskets.

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Pansy ‘Got the Blues’

Viola wittrockiana with white petals, dark purple blotches, and yellow centers.
This is a cultivar in shades of blue-violet, lavender, and periwinkle.
common-name common name Pansy ‘Got the Blues’
botanical-name botanical name Viola wittrockiana ‘Got the Blues’
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 6”-8”
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 6-10

Pansies are reliably frost tolerant; in mild climates, you can grow them through the winter. They prefer cool weather, so even in cooler climates, get these started early, about 10 weeks before your last frost. They like direct sewing, which you can do about six weeks before that date.

Pansies are one of my favorite edible flowers because they have a pleasant flavor and a soft, pleasing fragrance. ‘Got the Blues’ is a cultivar in shades of blue-violet, lavender, and periwinkle. The blooms make a wonderful garnish and are also pretty on baked goods.  

Petunia ‘Purple Tie Dye’

A cluster of vivid purple flowers with delicate white centers blooms amidst lush green foliage.
The blooms are trumpet-shaped and splashed with purple and white, each uniquely beautiful.
common-name common name Petunia ‘Purple Tie Dye’
botanical-name botanical name Petunia x atkinsiana ‘Purple Tie Dye
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun
height height 7”-10”
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 10-12

Sweet-smelling, delicate petunias are wonderful container plants that make a great border for beds and garden paths. They are perennial in warmer climates, but you can grow them anywhere as an annual. They’re fast growers, so they fill in a hanging basket in just a few months. 

‘Purple Tie Dye’ is a Shock Wave petunia with tons of personality. The blooms are trumpet-shaped and splashed with purple and white, each uniquely beautiful. You can start these seeds up to three months ahead of the last frost date. The tiny seeds need warm soil to germinate.

Snapdragon ‘Orange Wonder’

A lovely and colorful flower of the Antirrhinum majus ‘Orange Wonder’ plant, having light and bright hues of pink and yellow, placed in a sunny area
It is a tall variety with long, slender stems and finely cut foliage.
common-name common name Snapdragon ‘Orange Wonder’
botanical-name botanical name Antirrhinum majus ‘Orange Wonder
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 30”-36”
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 5-11

Snapdragons make an ideal cut flower; if you pinch them, they form pretty, small shrubs with impressive spikes. In warmer climates, these are perennial, and in Zone 9 and South, they are frost tolerant enough to stay green all winter. This makes them one of the first spring bloomers in my garden. 

‘Orange Wonder’ is a tall variety with long, slender stems and finely cut foliage. Start your snapdragon seeds up to three months before your last frost date. Hardened-off seedlings will tolerate a late frost, so put them in the ground as soon as it’s workable. 

Sweet William ‘Sweet Rose Magic’

Dianthus barbatus with clusters of pink blooms featuring fringed petals and white patterns.
The large, spherical flower heads can show all three shades at the same time.
common-name common name Sweet William ‘Sweet Rose Magic’
botanical-name botanical name Dianthus barbatus ‘Sweet Rose Magic’
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 18”-36”
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 3-9

Sweet William is related to carnations and shares that signature spicy fragrance. They have long, stiff stems and a long vase life, so they are ideal for the cutting garden. They are perennial in Zones 3-9 and annual elsewhere. If you’re outside this area, sow early for blooms in the same year. 

‘Sweet Rose Magic’ is a stunning cultivar with color-shifting blossoms. They start out white, turn pink, and then mature to deep rose. The large, spherical flower heads can show all three shades at the same time. Start them indoors about ten weeks ahead of your last anticipated frost.

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