CyberSalad: Garden Pursuits: Shrubs: Forsythia

[CyberSalad] [Garden Pursuits] [Garden Quotes] [Garden Journal] [The Language of Flowers] [Monthly Chores]
[Garden Poetry] [Zone Maps] [First/Last Frost Dates] [Trees] [Ground Covers] [Fruit/Berries] [Water Garden]
[Gardening Links] [Vegetables] [Lawn] [Raised Beds] [Bulbs, etc.] [Shrubs] [Perennials] [Annuals] [Herbs]

Forsythia intermedia

There are no more colorful or easily recognized harbingers of spring than the golden forsythia, which open the season in Southern gardens in February, and by March and April have gilded the countryside as far north as new England and the Pacific Northwest. Their branches, picked in midwinter, are among th easiest to force into bloom indoors. All forsythia flowers are yellow, but shades range from pale primrose to deep brass; the leaves are mostly 2 to 3 inches long, althought some of the dwarf varieties have proportionally smaller leaves. Forsythias vary in size from shrubs that grow only 1 foot tall to others that reach 8 to 10 feet. Give forsythias enough room to grow without the necessity of hacking off their tops to keep the plants in bounds, for their real beauty lies in the graceful manner in which their branches grow. Forsythias make excellent informal shrub borders and hedges, screen plantings and individual specimens. The taller types can be espaliered--trained to grow flat against a wall--and the shorter ones make fine ground covers. They are tolerant of the poor growing conditions in cities.
All forsythias grow in Zones 5-9. They thrive in full sun or light shade in almost any soil. In cold areas, exposed buds may be killed by a severe winter; yet even after such damage to the upper parts of the branches, the lower sections may bloom if they were protected by a blanket of snow. Each year prune about one fourth to one third of the main stems that are more than four years old by cutting them back to within 4 inches of the ground. Flowers form on the previous season's growth, not on new growth, so pruning should be done immediately after the flowers have faded. For hedges, plant forsythias 4 to 6 feet apart. New plants can be started from softwood cuttings of young growth in late spring ro early summer, from semihardwood cuttings of more mature growth in mid- or late summer, or from hardwood cuttings of dormant leafless growth in late fall or early winter. New plants can also be propagated by forcing a branch to grow roots by the method known as ground layering.

'Lynwood Gold', has an abundance of brilliant yellow flowers in March. It has an upright, spreading growth habit. Plant in mass on a bank or as a border for optimal show! Forsythia can be the harbinger of spring as it sometimes blooms with the daffodil! This shrub looks its best when permitted to grow to its natural size and shape. The birds will use the dense branches as cover during the winter months.

'Lynwood', probably the same as 'Lynwood Gold' above.

Sign Our Guestbook

View Our Guestbook

	©2000-2007 Garden Pursuits. All Rights Reserved. WebMistress: Barbara Anders This site best viewed in 800x600 resolution. Graphics on this site are for my personal use only, and are not available for download. Please do not take.

Site launched January 1, 2000.
Site updated September 1, 2007.