Forsythias need little attention to brighten the early spring garden with vibrant sprays of golden star-shaped flowers.
Forsythias are upright, deciduous shrubs that produce an abundance of gold blooms along the length of their, arching stems.
In full bloom, a Forsythia is covered with masses of brilliant yellow flowers and after the flowers fade, bright green leaves appear. When they lost their leaves, forsythias reveal thin sprawling branches that add interest to a winter garden.
Of the many stunning Forsythias, ‘Spring Glory’ is prized for its lemon yellow hues and ability to produce twice the average number of blooms. ‘Beatrix Farrand’ carries a shower of canary yellow flowers flecked with orange, while ‘Lynwood’ produces brass-colored flowers on a 3.2 meter tall form.
The foliage of many types of Forsythia turns shades of purple or bronze in autumn. The deep green foliage of Forsythia Spectabilis blends into a purplish-red in autumn. Mini’ features cup shaped leaves that turn mahogany before dropping off in early winter.
Forsythia’s flowers bring the first vibrant color to the garden in early spring. Wake up a garden spot in need of a splash of color.
Create a rambling, informal hedge with a row of Forsythias. When their dense foliage disappears from late autumn to early spring, their bare branches remain elegant.
Forsythias are stunning as specimen plants, or as accents on either side of a garden entryway. Place them where their long, curved branches will not interfere with traffic passing by.
The gold hues of the forsythia look especially brilliant against the orange and bronze of a brick house. Plant at least 1.5 meters from the house to allow for spread.
Forsythias marry well with other shrubs, and form attractive combinations with spring-flowering plants in contrasting colors.
Low-growing Azaleas, Quince, and other shrubs that bloom in fiery reds look arresting when planted in front of a Forsythia, such as the neon yellow ‘Spectabilis.
Create a continuous show of golden blooms by planting the bright yellow, low-growing ‘Cloth-of-gold’ in front of a hedge of ‘Heather Gold’ Forsythias. ‘Cloth-of-gold’s’ arching, gold flowers are similar to the Forsythia’s and will provide color and interest from midsummer to autumn, long after the Forsythia’s brightness has faded.
Planting a Forsythia
1. Dig a hole 30cm wider and 15cm deeper than the rootball. Mix equal portions of compost and soil. Add half a cup slow release fertilizer.
2. Gently remove the plant from its container and loosen the roots. Add a 15cm layer of the mixed soil to the hole and set in the plant.
3. Position the Forsythia shrub so that the base of the plant is at least 5cm above the soil. Fill around the plant with the soil mix.
4. Gently pack the soil around the forsythia shrub. Water the new planting well and mulch with a 10cm layer of pine bark.
5. Prune lightly in autumn to remove dead wood and overly long shoots only, as pruning to shape can cause the plant to stop blooming.
Grow forsythias for free by layering. In autumn, scrape a narrow band of bark from the stem of an existing shrub, bend it so it touches the ground, cover with a few inches of soil, and anchor the stem firmly with a rock. In spring, cut the stem and transplant the new shrub.
Buying hints
Buy Forsythias with at least eight to ten healthy, green, 1 cm diameter shoots, and several buds. Avoid Forsythia plants that have split or cracked branches. Do not buy those that appear overly large for their containers.
Growing conditions
These brilliant shrubs need full sun; at least six hours of direct sun a day to produce the best blooms. Although Forsythia shrubs will grow and bloom well in average soil, they cannot tolerate excess water, so well-drained soil is best.
Advice tips
Do not prune Forsythias to a formal shape because you may prevent them from blooming. Allow the shrub to grow to its natural form. Keep mulch 3-5cm away from the shrub’s trunk or it may cause rot, eventually killing the plant.
Spring is the time to light prune after the shrub has flowered. Apply half a cup of balanced fertilizer to the shrub’s base.
In summer water only during extremely dry spells, or every fifteen to twenty rainless days.
Buy and plant new shrubs in autumn to give roots a chance to establish. Apply mulch for winter protection in colder regions.
In winter, when most of the shrub’s foliage is gone, check for any damaged branches that need to be removed.
Failure to flower is generally an indication that the Forsythia is being grown in a climate that does not get sufficient winter chill. Like many deciduous shrubs, a cold winter is necessary to stimulate the formation of flower buds.
