Obedience Plant -Starting from seed problems

I've been trying to start Obedience Plants (physostegia - rose crown) from seed from 2 different seed venders. I started last spring and so far nothing to show for it. I've tried direct sowing in the spring to no avail and I've tried starting seeds indoors in 6 packs with Pro Mix potting medium under grow lights with no luck ! I've tried planting the seed about a 1/4" deep and also just surface planting by just pressing into the soil and watering a couple times per week. I can't find any local nurseries that carries the plants in the spring or even know what I'm looking for.

Any advice is greatly appreciated
Thanks - OldSnort (Jon in Ohio )

Hi Jon, I have Physostegia Summer Snow which I grew from seed from Thompson & Morgan a couple of years ago. I sowed them in March in a propagator on my kitchen windowsill. I surface sowed the seed and they need plenty of light. I think they started germinating after approx 3 weeks but some took a couple of months, they can be very slow. I got a good germination rate from the bought packet of seeds but then I collected seeds from my plants and sowed them earlier this year outside in my glasshouse (unheated), I didn't even get one plant from them! I was thinking maybe it was the heat in the house that helped germination the first time but I'm not really sure.....not much help I know but don't give up!

The seed germination data bases are not consistent on this.
Deno suggest it germinates at 70ºF ,
and the Clothier one suggests that it needs 12 weeks chilling near freezing, and then 70ºF.

I expect they differ because they used seed of different age.
You may want to use half of your seed and treat by the two suggestions?
If you do---then do let us know how it turns out?

I am not sure this particular plant grows from seed.
I have 2-3 clumps and sometimes it happens the seeds fall nearby. I always forget to "deadhead".
So far, I haven't seen any volunteer seedlings.
I never tried germinating seeds in pots, fridge, etc.

OldSnort: I wish I knew you wanted this plant. I posted a few months back for postage. I was giving away huge amounts of this plant. Nonetheless... I have seeds left and can send them for postage.

This plant is slow to germinate without cold treatment. For best results winter sow them. It's gets cold enough in OH. To force them use the moist vermiculite in the fridge method. Otherwise you can germinete them in moist bounty paper towel in a ziplock bag. This way takes weeks because they prefer cold treatment ( a good winter) hope this helps...

Kim