Early forsythia is a harbinger of spring when bright yellow, bell-shaped flowers lighten the spring landscape long before other plants are awake. Shrubs reach 4 to 6 feet high and wide with a dense, erect habit and slightly arching canes.
Native geographic location and habitat:
It is native to Korea, China, and Europe.
Attracts birds, pollinators, or wildlife:
Early insects are attracted to flowers.
Bark color and texture:
The shrub has yellow-brown stems with heavy lenticels.
Leaf or needle arrangement, size, shape, and texture:
Leaves are arranged in an opposite pattern and are 3 to 5 inches long. The upper third of the leaf is serrated. Dark green leaves in summer occasionally turning pale yellow to a reddish tinge in fall. Forsythia is one of last shrubs to drop its leaves.
Flower arrangement, shape, and size:
Appearing in early spring before the leaves in clusters along the stems, flowers are four-petaled, bright yellow, and bell-shaped. Flowers bloom on the previous season’s woody growth (old wood).
Fruit, cone, nut, and seed descriptions:
The fruit is a dehiscent capsule and not ornamentally important.
Tree & Plant Care:
Early forsythia is easy to grow and should be planted in full sun for best flowering. It is adaptable to a wide variety of soil pH. Prune to maintain a healthy, vigorous shrub by removing a few older canes to the ground every 2 to 3 years. Flowers on old wood; prune after flowering to avoid removing next y ear’s flower buds. Overgrown shrubs can be rejuvenated by cutting them to the ground.
Pests, diseases and tolerances:
Early forsythia is susceptible to crown gall and leaf spots, but is resistant to windy sites and aerial salt spray.
Meadowlark forsythia (Forsythia ‘Meadowlark’):
This is a popular hybrid (F. ovata x F. europaea) reaching 8 to 10 feet high and 6 to 10 feet wide. It has semi-arching branches, bright yellow flowers, and is hardy to -35 degrees F.
Northern Gold forsythia (Forsythia ‘Northern Gold’):
This variety has an upright, rounded habit reaching 6 to 8 feet high and 5 to 7 feet wide with golden yellow flowers. A Canadian introduction, it is cold hardy to -30 degrees F.
Northern Sun forsythia (Forsythia ‘Northern Sun’):
This dense rounded shrub with spreading branches can reach 8 to 10 feet high and wide. It produces clear yellow flowers and is hardy to – 30 degrees F.
Sunrise forsythia (Forsythia ‘Sunrise’):
This full, dense rounded shrub with spreading branches can reach 5 to 6 feet high and wide. It produces bright yellow flowers and is hardy to -20 degrees F.
