Feverfew seeds develop into stellar filler flowers for bouquets. The clusters of petite, daisy-like flowers form an overall disk shape. Different varieties produce different florets. One variety may be the combination of daisies with chamomile, while other variety is all white or yellow.
The differences in feverfew variety is what makes growing feverfew from seed fun- you can end up with all sorts of different colors and textures from this flower.
Why I Love Feverfew
I didn’t grow up with feverfew. I never heard of it before diving into growing cut flowers, and it even took learning about “cool flowers” too. After the first growing season, I was sold. I forever want to grow this flower.
It is so easy to start from seed indoors, but I also had plants survive winter. They bloomed last season and had stems die off in the fall, but the greenery of the base of the plant survived our Pennsylvania winters in the Allegheny Plateau. To me, for plants to survive winter, I love it.
And in bouquets, oh, such beauty. It keeps to the disk shape, but works great as a filler flower with tiny florets branching in bloom.
Daisy, Chrysanthemum, or Related?
I know flowers by what most flower farmers call them. So, I know feverfew as that, feverfew. It is also called “Matricaria.”
My husband tried to tell me that were just daisies. So, I looked it up to prove him wrong because I do grow daisies too and feverfew are not daisies.
Feverfew, daisy, and chrysanthemums are all related. Feverfew is in the daisy family of Asteraceae. This family of plants also include chamomile, China Aster, chrysanthemum, coneflower, rudbeckia, cosmos, pot marigold, and sunflower.
Feverfew may look like a daisy, depending on the variety, but they are not a daisy, just related.
Why Start Your Own Feverfew from Seed?
I like starting my own seeds, but if there’s a garden center in sight, I’m parking my car and taking a walk through their flowers for sale, if not coming out with a few more plants for my garden.
Nonetheless, I’ve never noticed or seen feverfew plants at a garden center. Usually, I’d let you know how starting your own seeds is a better buy, but with feverfew, it’s about your only option here.
Where to Buy Feverfew Seeds
My favorite place to order feverfew seeds is from Johnny’s Select Seeds. They have such a range to choose from, from the classic Magic Single to Tetra White and Sunny Ball. Other seed companies have feverfew seeds, such as Botanical Interests.
My Favorite Feverfew
Tetra White Feverfew has dainty white florets that transition to the center with a yellow hue. I love adding white as the filler color to bouquets, so this variety works perfectly.
This next variety is one I haven’t grown, but I love the look of it. My favorite color is yellow, especially the hue of Sunny Ball Feverfew in pictures from Johnny’s Select Seeds.
When to Start Feverfew Seeds Indoors
Feverfew seeds take 5-7 weeks before planting out, when started indoors. Feverfew are cool hardy and a tender perennial in zones 5-9. They can be planted out 4-6 weeks before your average last spring frost date.
My average last spring frost is May 15. 4-6 weeks before this is April 3 to April 17, which is when I can start planting them out. To start seeds indoors, I would need to start sowing February 13 – 27, which 5-7 weeks before April 3.
Succession planting is another great option to have these filler blooms throughout the season. Do succession plantings every 2-4 weeks.
If you would rather wait until your average last frost date to plant, that will work too. With my average last spring frost being May 15, I would calculate starting feverfew seeds 5-7 weeks before, which is March 27-April 10.
I’ve never tried direct sowing, but as soon as soil is workable, usually early spring, surface sow into the flower bed.
What do Feverfew Seeds Look Like?
Feverfew seeds remind me of paler version of rudbeckia seeds. They are light brown, small, and about 2mm long. Like rudbeckia, the come from the center of the flower head and can be brushed off the center. They are not the smallest flower seeds out there, but for seed size, you may need to use a toothpick to move them individually.
How to Sow Feverfew Seeds Indoors?
For any standard seed-sowing, I start plants in 72-cell trays with a no-hole tray underneath to catch any excess water from dripping to grow lights, trays, and the floor below.
Fill the cell trays with moistened seed starting mix. I prefer using Lambert All-Purpose. A pre-mixed soil medium saves time when starting seeds, but it also gives the seeds a balanced ration between peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite. Do not overwater or compact the soil into each cell.
In every cell, surface sow two to three feverfew seeds. If one does not germinate, the other one should. A light covering of vermiculite is okay. Feverfew seeds do take light to germinate.
How to Direct Sow Feverfew Seeds?
Don’t have a grow light or greenhouse for indoor sowing? Don’t worry. You can direct sow feverfew seeds!
Option A: Surface sow feverfew on ground that is not tilled. Feverfew would naturally let their seeds fall onto non-tilled soil.
Option B: Loosen the soil. We prefer to rototill, but for raised beds or flowers beds I like to use a hand-held tiller that you twist to aerate the soil. Surface sow the seeds. You can rake across the top.
Do Feverfew Seeds Need Light to Germinate?
Yeppers. Feverfew seeds do require light to germinate. Turn on those grow lights or place them in a sunny greenhouse.
Do You Soak Feverfew Seeds First?
Nope. Feverfew does not require any special treatment before sowing. As long as the seed starting mix is pre-moistened, you are good to go.
How Long Does It Take Feverfew Seeds to Germinate?
At 70°F, feverfew seeds should take between 10 and 14 days to germinate. If you are not seeing any small growth after two weeks, try sowing again with leftover seeds.
If the soil temperature is a bit lower, the seed can still germinate. It may just take the seed longer. With feverfew being cool hardy, I save my heating mat space for other plants and start the feverfew indoors without the extra heat.
What Light is Necessary for Feverfew Seeds?
For flowers, I give mine at least 12 hours per day, but it is recommended for 14-16 hours per day.
I start seedlings indoors under grow lights with timers set. Greenhouse with natural light would work, but realize too that in northern Pennsylvania in late winter and early spring, there is not super long day lengths available.
I do use an unheated greenhouse for move seedlings out to when they are older and closer to needing transplanted.
When Do You Start Fertilizing Feverfew Seeds?
Once seeds germinate, their first set of leaves are their “baby” leaves. These baby leaves are called cotyledons. At this stage, all the nutrients for the seedling is still coming from what was available in the seed.
As the seedling continues to grow, the second set of leaves appear. These are the “true” leaves. When you look closely, you can see that these true leaves even look like the adult feverfew leaves.
This is when it is time to start fertilizing your seedlings with a soluble fertilizer. Fish fertilizer does work, but beware that it will make your basement and house smell like fish poop. My dogs love it, but it is too strong for everyone else! Espoma soluble fertilizers are organic like fish fertilizer, but they don’t have the strong stench.
Thin and Separate Feverfew Seedlings
When adding two feverfew seeds per cell, there is also the chance that two feverfew seedlings will germinate. Our end goal is to have just one feverfew plant per cell.
First, wait to do any thinning until the seedlings have their first set of true leaves.
I like to recommend two ways to thin seedlings. One way is to cut and thin out the secondary seedling. The second way is to pull and transplant the seedling.
How to Cut and Thin Feverfew Seedlings
One feverfew seedling needs the whole cell for itself. It’s time to kick the one out to allow the other one to flourish.
Look at the two, maybe three, feverfew seedlings. Find the one that is healthier by looking for wider stems, green leaves, and taller stems for healthier plants. If all the seedlings seem to be healthy, choose the one that is the closest to the center.
Take a pair of snips to cut out the lesser seedlings, leaving the stronger seedling alive to thrive.
What I like best about this method is none of the roots of the stronger seedling are disturbed. They continue to grow strong in the cell.
How to Pull and Transplant Feverfew Seedlings
When pulling and transplanting seedlings, this is a good option for needing to use every feverfew seedling that has germinated. If you have low germination, you can take some of the seconds and place them in new cells.
You do need to be careful because there is the chance of breaking the small seedlings. First, remove the secondary seedlings by gently grasping the bottom of the feverfew stem and pulling it carefully out of the soil. If seedlings are cloth together, it is okay to pull more than one seedling out at a time. If it is easier to pull all the seedlings, then go ahead to then transplant all the seedlings from that cell.
Take the feverfew seedlings and transplant into a new cell with pre-moistened seed starting mix. Create a hole for the seedling’s root to enter. This all depends on the size of the roots available. Press the seed starting soil to secure the seedling in place.
Growing Feverfew from Seeds
Go ahead and try starting feverfew seeds this upcoming growing season. Soon, you will immersed with gorgeous blooms to enjoy the landscape, cut for bouquets, or a mix of both.
When fall or late winter come, prune off any dead stems and see how well the feverfew plant does for another season. That’s the fun part of gardening is building a relationship with the plants, and let them do their thing. Sometimes it is amazing what the plants will do, rather than what a textbook says they will or will not do.
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