I have two sets of seed. One is from my own plant. I put them in the freezer for 8 weeks in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel.

The other I just bought retail. The packet says to sow in late summer or fall before the soil freezes. That suggests to me that echinacea needs dampness along with chill in order to germinate, as wouldn't the seller (Burpee) have used cold storage at some point?

I'm going to go ahead and sow some of both sets of seed and hope for the best, but do you think I really need to do a moist refrigerated stratification?