Can I plant seeds gathered from a pink coneflower this summer now, or must they “harden” for a season first?

Question

I live in the North Carolina piedmont area (Burlington, Greensboro, Raleigh-Durham).

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Answer 1

You can plant seeds up to two months before a frost. The flowers you have should self-seed, unless they are a hybrid. In that case the seed probably isn't viable.

Some sources say germination is higher if they go through the cold treatment.

I once cut down some stalks in the fall, placed them in an area I wanted coneflowers, and the next spring they popped up and bloomed that season.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/coneflower/should-you-deadhead-coneflowers.htm

https://currituck.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/PlantofMonth-Echinacea-October-2017.pdf?fwd=no