13 Perennials You Can Winter Sow In January

Winter sowing lets seedlings develop in a protected environment that mimics their natural outdoor setting. January is ideal for winter sowing many perennials, exposing those who need it to cold temperatures for germination. Cold stratification is a period of several weeks at temperatures around 40°F (4°C), depending on the plant. After spending late winter outdoors, they’ll sprout as conditions naturally warm to suit each selection. 

Winter sowing is fun and easy. It’s also handy for starting almost any seeds. It fosters strong root development for an early start on healthy growth and flowering and fruiting, promoting an extended season.

About Winter Sowing

Clear or transparent containers like milk jugs, plastic bottles, bins, and baggies become good “greenhouses.” For milk jugs, remove the cap and cut the jug in half, almost all the way around. Leave the handle in place for lifting the lid later. Make four to six holes in the base for drainage. Fill the jug with three to four inches of potting mix. Sow seeds, water them in, and tape the cut seam. 

Place the containers in a sunny spot exposed to the elements—snow is fine. The seeds benefit, and seedlings toughen up in the natural conditions later in the season. Maintain soil moisture and open the lid for ventilation on warm days.

Sow seeds about eight weeks before you plan to transplant them to the garden. January is the time to winter sow seeds that benefit from cold stratification in cold climates (and even into February and March). In warm climates, the seeds germinate faster.

Columbine

	common name Columbine
	botanical name Aquilegia spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-3’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Columbine is a native perennial with delicate pendant blooms and attractive compound leaves. The detailed, nodding blooms range from rich red and yellow to soft blues, purples, and pinks. Hummingbirds frequent the tubular blooms for nectar, and birds feed on the seeds in the fall.

Two native species are well-suited to direct sowing and winter sowing in winter. Eastern red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) has ornamental red and yellow bell flowers and perennializes well. Aquilegia coerulea, the heirloom Rocky Mountain blue columbine, brings violet and white blooms with yellow stamens.

Columbine grows naturally along woodland edges, clearings, and riverbanks in moderately moist, well-drained soils. Foliage is semi-evergreen unless temperatures become too cold or too hot, where it enters dormancy. Columbine is a cold-climate specimen and benefits from a cold period of 30 days or more to germinate. Scatter seeds on the soil surface and cover lightly with soil.

Rudbeckia

	common name Rudbeckia
	botanical name Rudbeckia fulgida
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1.5-3’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Rudbeckia is another North American native wildflower that is hardy across growing zones and thrives in hot, humid, and dry situations. It grows naturally in meadows and prairies, flowering continually from summer through frost. Its showy golden daisy flowers have chocolate button centers.

While adaptable, rudbeckia grows best in moist, well-drained soils without added fertilizers. The long-blooming perennial makes an impact in group plantings and along borders and draws pollinators. 

Rudbeckia self-seeds freely for successional blooms. They need cold stratification and enjoy a winter sow. After they flower, deadhead to prolong blooming but leave some to form seeds for foraging songbirds in the fall.

Delphinium

	common name Delphinium
	botanical name Delphinium spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-3’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Larkspur is a stately classic with large, deep blue bell flowers on tall stems. Delphinium carolinianum, or blue larkspur, is a wildflower native to the prairies of the Midwest. The hardy native has a wide range, from the American West to the Southeast. Light blue blooms rise above blue-green, lobed leaves in open meadows from early spring through summer.

Most commercial species are Delphinium elatum, of European and Asian origin. The species offers reliable performance and blooms in a range of colors and sizes. Available in tall and dwarf varieties, from marine blue to rose pink to clear white, D. elatum produces beautiful flowers, attracts pollinators, and resists mildew diseases.

Delphinium can be finicky, and winter sowing removes some indoor growing concerns (mainly mildew and hot conditions). Roots are sensitive to disturbance at transplanting. Provide moist and well-draining soils for healthy development; they’re susceptible to crown rot and powdery mildew if situations are too damp. 

Butterfly Milkweed

	common name Butterfly Milkweed
	botanical name Asclepias tuberosa
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-3’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Butterfly milkweed is a valuable bloomer as it supports monarchs and other beneficial insects. It’s a vital host plant for monarch caterpillars and their chrysalis and provides nectar for other pollinators.

Winter sow milkweed in late January or February to grant it a chill period and elemental exposure. Take care at transplanting to avoid disturbing sensitive roots.

Milkweed is heat-loving, producing its bright orange blooms in the summer. When it finishes blooming, collect seeds to scatter and share, or let them drop naturally to expand the colony. And leave some to feed the birds, who also use the silky fibers for nesting.

Echinacea

	common name Echinacea
	botanical name Echinacea purpurea
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1.5-5’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Echinacea is a quintessential North American native with nectar, pollen, and shelter for pollinators, ornamental value, and few resources needed for healthy growth. The species holds the characteristic purple ray petals around a prominent orange central disc, and numerous cultivars bring dynamic colors and forms.

Coneflower needs cold stratification to germinate. Let them self-sow after blooming or collect and dry some seedheads to sow in milk jugs. For cultivars, use commercial seeds as they won’t be true to type out of the garden.

Echinacea is a hardy prairie plant that withstands cold, high heat, and dry conditions. For the best flowering, provide regular moisture and good drainage.

Aster

	common name Aster
	botanical name Symphyotrichum spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-6’
	hardiness zones 3-8

These perennials are superstars of the fall garden in deep blue-purple, lavender, and pink flowers. The easy growers flower in profusion well into fall as other plants fade. Many species of the Symphyotrchum genus are indigenous to North America.

Aster, Greek for “star,” blooms in clusters of starry, daisy-like flowers. Small but abundant, the blooms cover foliage in soft shades. Monarchs and other pollinators appreciate the late-season nectar and pollen as they migrate and prepare for winter. 

Transplant winter-sown asters in late spring. They prefer consistently moist, organically rich soils. Good air circulation is essential; thin stems in summer if density inhibits airflow. Thinning the stems helps stave off foliar diseases.

Anise Hyssop

	common name Anise Hyssop
	botanical name Agastache foeniculum
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-5’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Anise hyssop bears loads of tubular blooms amongst fragrant foliage, making it a favorite for the border and herb garden. The showy North American native mint has purple-blue bloom spikes that rise above gray-green leaves and are a rich nectar source for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators.

Numerous species and cultivars of agastache offer reliable blooming, brilliant color, and strong performance. Agastache blooms profusely in summer through frost and reseeds on its own. 

Direct or winter sow seeds in fall and winter to give seeds plenty of natural cold stratification. It thrives in various soil textures and moisture levels as long as they’re well-draining. Deadhead spent blooms to enjoy prolific flowering all season.

Lupine

	common name Lupine
	botanical name Lupinus spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-5’
	hardiness zones 4-8

Lupine graces cool springs and summers with bell blooms in blues, purples, pinks, yellows, and bicolors. The ornamental wildflowers grow across wide-ranging conditions (dry, moist, hot, cold) and in poor soils. As legumes, they fix nitrogen in the soil and improve nutrient availability.

Lupinus perennis, or wild lupine, is native to eastern North America. Sky-blue flowers line multiple spikes, often in two tones of purple and blue or blue and white, above attractive palmate leaves. Meadow lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus) is one of the showiest, with dense violet blooms atop a cushion of pretty blue-green leaves.

Sow lupine by scattering seeds in fall or winter, when snowfall provides insulation until seeds germinate in the spring. Use winter sowing around January to promote earlier flowering on strong root perennial systems.

Wild Bergamot

	common name Wild Bergamot
	botanical name Monarda fistulosa
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-4’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Wild bergamot is a U.S. native with an easygoing nature, including drought and heat tolerance. But the real draw for both gardeners and pollinators is its pom-poms of pinky-purple blooms that cluster on stems above minty foliage.

Winter sow monarda in January to mimic natural chill and moisture cycles, which aren’t required but may assist with germination. They can be tender in cold temperatures with direct sowing, and the insulated environment works well. Provide plenty of air circulation, organic soils, and consistent moisture as wild bergamot grows, and remove spent blooms to prolong flowering.

Garden Phlox

	common name Garden Phlox
	botanical name Phlox paniculata
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-4’
	hardiness zones 4-8

Garden phlox is a classic beauty that brightens the summer garden with tall domes of pink flowers. The showy and fragrant native attracts butterflies and hummingbirds with flowers from summer until frost. 

Use protective sowing to give seedlings a headstart for taking off as the weather warms, or direct sow seeds as the soil is workable before the final frost.

For best growth, phlox needs organically rich, well-drained soils. Deadhead spent blooms to encourage reblooming. Ensure good air circulation to prevent mildew diseases, and remove any dropped plant material in late fall to prevent harboring it for future seasons.

Beardtongue

	common name Beardtongue
	botanical name Penstemon spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-3’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Beardtongue, or penstemon, has tall spikes lined with bell blooms from blue to scarlet. Many species are native to the U.S. and cultivated for their spectacular pollinator-magnet flowers and dark green foliage.

Rocky Mountain blue (Penstemon strictus) is a long-lived heirloom with striking violet-blue bells in early summer. In contrast, firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii) has scarlet bells on tall spikes in spring through summer.

Beardtongue is best in dry, light, well-drained soils. This perennial has seeds that benefit from weeks of cold, so sow in fall or winter “greenhouses” in January to allow exposure to cold temperatures and moisture.

Yarrow

	common name Yarrow
	botanical name Achillea millefolium
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-3’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Yarrow is the last North American native on our list and is exceptionally low-maintenance, durable, and drought-tolerant. It brings a feathery texture and large, flat flower heads with a long season of color.

Scatter seeds on the soil surface, whether direct-sowing or in jugs, and press them in place to ensure contact. Yarrow needs a sunny spot with well-draining soil to flourish but requires little else.

Lavender

	common name Lavender
	botanical name Lavandula spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Lavender is both herb and ornamental with its invigorating fragrance, silvery foliage, and purple bloom spikes. Sun-loving and Mediterranean, lavender grows in warm, arid summers as well as cool, wet winters.

Lavender seeds benefit from a chill period, and seedlings need protection from frigid conditions, making them a good fit for winter sowing in January. Plant seeds shallowly in the container. Where not hardy, grow lavender in containers. Overwinter them in a protected area the following cold season.