How to Winter Sow Native Plants

Native plants are vital to supporting local birds, pollinators, and other wildlife. Learn how easy it is to grow a variety of native plants using the winter sowing method!

a collage of native plant seedlings
Here’s how to start native plant seeds outdoors and let nature do all the hard work of germinating them!

In nature, wild plants produce flowers, then seeds, which naturally make their way to the ground and spend time over autumn and winter, experiencing lots of temperature fluctuations and chill time before they can germinate.

By winter seed sowing, we’re mimicking this process, only planting the seeds more deliberately and increasing their chances of germination and survival. Growing from seed also ensures plant diversity, in contrast to the identically cloned cultivars found in many garden centers.

When you winter sow depends on where you live, but in general you can cold start native seeds from late autumn to late winter. Where we live, this covers from the end of October, up to around early March. (Basically, the seasons where you’re still getting cold weather and frosts.)

a woodland seed starting spot
One of our winter sowing spots. It’s just an old wood pallet and a protective square covering made of cattle panel pieces covered in hardware cloth.

Native versus Non-Native Plants

First up, you might wonder – what exactly is a native plant and why are they important?

A native plant is one that has been growing in a particular area for thousands of years, without any human ever planting or introducing it there. These plants are well adapted for the climate, soil, weather, and wildlife naturally occurring around them.

In other words, native plants are perfectly suited for where they grow and offer the most benefits to local native pollinators, birds, and other critters.

In contrast a non-native is one that was introduced by humans either by accident or on purpose. Some non-native plants you might spot around your home include purple dead nettle, common and ribwort plantains, and common chickweed.

Some non-natives are fairly non-offensive, but others go on to become invasive and hard to control, wiping out native plants and causing a lot of ecological damage. Examples of these include Japanese knotweed, Kudzu, Autumn Olive, and Oriental Bittersweet.

Some gardeners get very granular and will only grow plants documented to be native in their specific county within a state, while others aim for plants native within their state, and yet others are fine with ones that are native to their home’s particular geographic range (such as mid-Atlantic, north-east, mid-west, etc.)

Regardless of where you draw the lines, the main thing is that we all agree that native plants are a good thing to have around, and here we’ll talk about how you can grow your own from seed!

plants that have been winter sown from seed
A variety of winter sown seedlings: viburnum, wild columbine, ginseng, solomon’s seal, false unicorn, and more!

Which Native Plants Can You Winter Sow?

Winter sowing is perfect for seeds that require chilling or cold stratification before they can germinate. Most native perennials can be winter sown. If in doubt and you have plenty of seed to spare, don’t be afraid to experiment and see what works well for where you live!

Below are a few of our favorites for winter sowing. Keep in mind that we live in zone 7a south east in the United States, at the foot of the Appalachian mountains, so have experience with and tend to favor and highlight plants local to this area, though we also grow native-adjacent plants too. Your local plant profiles will vary, so don’t feel limited by this list at all.

Be sure to check plant lists (like THESE from the Xerces Society) for seed ideas more specific to your area.

spiderwort that was cold started
Winter sown spiderwort plants.
NameNotes
Bee Balm (Monarda spp)These include spotted bee balm (horsemint, M. punctata), wild bergamot (M. fistulosa), scarlet bee balm (M. didyma), and more.
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)A bright orange milkweed that’s highly attractive to butterflies, hummingbirds, and an array of pollinators.
Echinacea purpurea, Purple ConeflowerBirds, bees, and butterflies all enjoy these blooms, plus the entire plant has herbal value!
False Unicorn (Chamaelirium luteum)Grows in acidic shade or woodland, wild populations are in decline, slow growing, plants can be male or female so start several seeds to ensure both.
American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius)Ginseng seeds become available to sow in autumn and can spend the winter in pots, right in your winter sowing spot. See our article: How to Grow Ginseng from Seed for more info.
Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)A perennial native with pretty blue flowers. Does well in woodland gardens and/or near streams and creeks.
Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)Also called Maypops, they are vigorous climbers once they get going in the season. See our article Growing & Foraging Passionflower & Maypops, for more information about this useful plant with a tasty fruit!
Rudbeckia spp.These include black eyed susan (R. hirta), brown eyed susan (R. triloba) , orange coneflower (R. fulgida), and more.
Solomon’s Seal, False (Maianthemum racemosa)Prefers rich moist soil and full shade. Flowers and red berries are found at the tip of the plant. Herbally used by Native Americans.
Solomon’s Seal, Giant (Polygonatum commutatum)Enjoys cool, moist shade. Produces drooping white flowers and dark blue berries. Traditional herbal use for joint pain.
Spiderwort (Tradescantia spp)Pretty 3-petaled flowers that are usually purple or blue.
Viburnum spp.These include black haw (Viburnum prunifolium), nannyberry (Viburnum lentago), arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum), American form crampbark (Viburnum opulus var. americanum)
Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)Very easy and satisfying to grow from seed. Produces pretty red flowers attractive to butterflies, hawk moths, and hummingbirds around May to July, plants prefer part-shade/wooded areas and will gradually spread.
Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)Supports 75 species of butterflies & moths, and the fruits are enjoyed by wildlife (and humans!)
wild strawberry seedlings
Wild Strawberries (Fragaria virginiana) are easy to grow from seed when you cold stratify them!

Winter Sowing Method: Pots + Protected Spot

While planting seeds in gallon milk jugs over the winter is a popular and effective winter sowing method, we personally favor growing the plants in regular garden pots or trays, kept within a protected spot.

This is mainly for three reasons: First, we don’t have a ready supply of plastic jugs or disposable plastic containers to use. (Our milk share uses glass jars for delivery.) Second, we prefer the aesthetics of less-plastic. Third, we’ve tried both ways over the years and like the results of winter seeding with pots and trays better.

Giant Solomons Seal Seedling
Even if it doesn’t look like anything is going on under the surface, roots can be developing, so don’t give up on a winter sown plant too soon! (Shown: Great Solomon’s Seal seedling winter sown the previous year. No above soil growth, but plenty beneath!)

What you’ll need:

  • Potting Soil – We use Fox Farm’s Ocean Forest Soil (preferred), or organic potting mix from the closest garden center if we’re out of Fox Farm’s soil.
  • A Bucket or Large Container – Use this to evenly moisten your potting soil before placing it into pots/trays.
  • Garden Pots & Trays – If using trays, make sure they’re not too shallow or small; taller/deeper 4 or 6 packs work okay and individual pots are even better. We reuse these year after year, for as long as they hold up. (THIS pack of 48 pots we bought a couple years ago work perfectly.) You must have drainage holes in your pots/trays so your plant won’t drown in rainy weather!
  • Native Seeds – Check local native plant groups for their recommendations (Facebook is a good source for groups local to your state). Using seeds from a hyper local source is preferred, but not always possible, so you may need to order from places such as Prairie Moon.
  • A Protective Screen – Ours is made out of pieces of cattle panel covered with welded wire. You could also simply place heavy screen or hardware cloth over the top of the pots.
  • A Protected Spot – We use a spot at the edge of our woods and back yard, under a deciduous tree. It’s enough out of the way so the pots don’t get jostled by rowdy dogs or the random family member working in the yard, but close enough to remember to go check and water as needed. I also keep a small grouping on the north side of my house, near my basement door, and yet another set on my front porch. If kept in a covered area like a porch, you must also keep them watered.
ginseng seedlings in winter sowing area
1 year old American ginseng seedlings, sown the autumn before.

How to Winter Sow Your Native Seeds

Double check the specifics on your seed package, but we generally start most seeds the same way.

  1. Fill your bucket or large container with some potting soil. Add enough water so that the potting soil becomes evenly moist, but not sopping wet. Use your hands to mix really well.
  2. Fill the pots and trays with moistened potting soil, pressing firmly, but not packing the soil in too tightly.
  3. Sow the seeds on the surface of the soil, tamping them in gently with your fingers. If a seed needs covering, sprinkle a little extra potting soil on top and then tamp again lightly.
  4. Be sure to label each container!
  5. Move the pots to the sheltered area where you plan to keep them at all winter and cover with some type of protective wire, hardware cloth, or netted covering.
  6. Before covering with wire, I crumble up nearby fallen leaves and sprinkle over the tops of the pots to help mimic nature. For some plants that prefer acidity (like False Unicorn), I sprinkle a small handful of pine needles over the pot. Some gardeners like to top with a fine layer of sand instead.
  7. Now you wait with patience and let nature do almost all of the work! Check your spot once a week and if things are bone dry, give them a little bit of water.
False Unicorn Seedlings
False Unicorn seedlings grow very slowly!

How to Label Winter Sown Containers

Ideally, we use stamped metal plant tags, since the sun and weather can fade out other kinds of labeling. We buy blank metal plant marker stakes from Etsy and use metal letter stamps to add the plant’s name to the markers.

We’ve also used bamboo plant tags (very nice concept, but they only last one season), plastic plant tags of all sorts (the permanent marker fades within the year usually), and also just regular sticker labels + a sharpie which we stick on the sides of pots, and which hold up surprisingly well!

planting great blue lobelia
Planting great blue lobelia in a streamside woodland area.

What to Do Once Your Seeds Sprout?

It’s exciting to see baby plants start popping up when the weather warms up!

Some seedlings, like passionflower (passiflora incarnata) seem to take a long while to appear, while others such as wild columbine crop up rather rapidly.

Monitor the pots, still watering occasionally, but only if needed during dry spells. You’ll probably notice some of the pots look crowded with seedlings, depending on how heavily you planted your seeds.

Once the seedlings have developed their true leaves and a little bit of sturdiness to them, you can start carefully dividing them apart and planting the small babies in individual trays or pots, so they can continue maturing.

At this point, you can grow them out in pots until they’re large enough to transplant to their final growing spot. They’ll do best if moved to their new home on a cool and cloudy day to help avoid transplant shock.

Now all that’s left is to enjoy watching your native plants attract birds, butterflies, and all sorts of pollinators!

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