The golden Harbinger of Spring
Forsythia's brilliant golden flowers light up spring gardens,
A neatly pruned forsythia.
Forsythia flowers appear before their leaves.
A grafted forsythia standard tree.
Kolgold forsythias has larger flowers.
Flowers are tubular with four petals.
Forsythia's graceful arching branches.
Foliage appears shortly after the flowers appear.
Forsythia's fiery colours appear on only one half of this plant.
Colourful autumn foliage.
Forsythias brighten up a path along in Abkahzi Garden, Victoria, B.C. Click on pic for more.
Red autumnal foliage is more prevalent in full sun.
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Common Name: border forsythia
Botanical Name: Forsythia Form: upright with arching stems Family: Oleaceae (olive family) Genus: Forsythia Plant Type: deciduous shrub Mature Size: 2’ to 10’ x 2’ to 12’ Growth: fast Origin: genus originally from China, Korea, Southeastern Europe Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9 depending on cultivar Foliage: medium to dark green, 3-5” long to 1” wide, oval to lance shaped, pointed leaf tips, serrated margins, yellow autumnal colours may include red & purple Flowers: showy, March to April, 1.5” yellow 4 lobed star-shaped tubular in clusters of 2 to 6 Fruit: green seed capsules mature to brown Stems: new stems are green that mature to brown, square shaped Exposure: full sun best for flower production, avoid windy locations Soil: well-drained, soil tolerant, dislikes overly wet soil & dry soil Uses: borders, slopes, banks, sunny perimeter of woodlands, cottage gardens, hedges, cut flowers Invasive Tendencies: suckers may form colonies Tolerates: deer, clay soil, black walnut, Japanese beetle Propagation: cuttings, air layering, suckers Pruning: after flowering in spring Problems: leaf spot, crown gall, Phytophthora root rot Comments: Forsythia’s bright yellow flowers give a big shout out to the world that spring has arrived. Their eye-popping golden blossoms are a welcome sight on dreary, rainy, grey spring days. After their vibrant golden flowers fade, their innocuous green leaves blend into their surroundings and are unnoticed for the rest of the year. Forsythia’s time to shine is early spring. Flower buds open in profusion In March, before the leaves have a chance to sprout. Bright yellow star-shaped tubular flowers appear on the bare stems. Each 1.5” flower bears 4 lobed golden petals in clusters of 2 to 6 along the branches. As the flowers age, medium to deep green leaves emerge alternately placed on square stems. Their simple green 3-5” long to 1” wide leaves, vary from oval to lance shaped. Leaf tips are pointed with serrated margins. Forsythias foliage turns yellow in the autumn, and when conditions are right, they turn a deep red and purple. Water: Forsythias prefer regular watering, but they are somewhat drought tolerant once they are established. Prolonged dry periods are not recommended as they may not recover especially during hot, dry summers. Alternately, overly wet soils that don’t drain properly promote Phytophthora root rot. Soil. Although forsythias are tolerant of many soil conditions and prefer a pH of 6.8 to 7.5. To retain soil moisture, provide nutrients and to suppress weeds, mulch the area with 3 inches of an organic mulch. Planting: Dig a hole the same depth as the size of the rootball, no deeper. The hole’s width should be 3 to 5 times wider than the diametre of the root ball. Amend the soil with a few inches of compost. Add a few inches more if the soil is heavy clay and on poorly drained soils. Mix in a handful of bonemeal to encourage root growth. Before planting, slightly loosen the roots with your hand. For severely potbound specimens, use a knife to cut through the roots. Place the plant in the hole so the plant’s crown (where roots meet the stems) is at ground level. Fill with remaining soil, water thoroughly then mulch. Newly planted forsythias require water twice a week until new growth sprouts. The subsequent new growth indicates the roots are established. Water as needed ensuring the soil does not dry out or becomes too wet. Exposure: Flowers best in full sun with direct sunlight for at least 6 hours a day. Avoid windy areas as they become quite dishevelled. Hardiness: Forsythias are hardy from USDA Zones 5 to 8; however, they may not flower well in Zone 5. Offer them more protection in cooler zones by planting them near the house or in other protected spot where they will receive at least 6 hours of direct sun per day. Pruning Forsythias tend to become unruly if not regularly pruned back after spring flowering. Refrain from pruning no later than June as it will remove future flowers. Renewal Pruning of Old Forsythias: For old worn-out forsythias that have few flowers, lots of old wood and twiggy stems, renewal pruning is in order. Remove all unproductive oil stems to 6 inches. Water well and feed with fish, kelp or another nitrogen fertilizer to help them recover and regrow. Forcing Forsythias to Bloom Instead of waiting for forsythias to blossom force them to bloom prematurely by cutting off plump budded branches in February or 2 to 4 weeks before plants are set to flower. Cut branches 12 to 18 inches long. Cut off any lower buds and leaves that would sit below the water level. Place in a vase filled with lukewarm water and place indoors in front of a sunny window. Change the water every few days to prevent rotting. It will take several days to weeks for the flowers to open. Border Forsythias Border Forsythia, Forsythia × intermedia is the most common forsythia.
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