Shrub
Forsythia
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowers | Flowers in March | Flowers in April | ||||||||||
| Plant | Plant in February | Plant in March | Plant in October | Plant in November | Plant in December | |||||||
| Prune | Prune in April | Prune in May | ||||||||||
| Looks good | Looks good in March | Looks good in April |
Overview
Border forsythia is a fast-growing deciduous shrub that signals the start of spring with sheets of yellow bell-shaped flowers before the leaves appear. 'Lynwood Variety' is the familiar large, bright form; 'Week End' is free-flowering and a little more compact; 'Minigold' and the Marée d'Or types stay low for smaller gardens. Its early colour pairs well with daffodils planted beneath.
Where to grow forsythia
Full sun gives the best flowering, though it tolerates part shade. It grows on any reasonable soil, including clay and chalk, and copes with urban pollution. Use it as an informal hedge, at the back of a border, or trained against a wall or fence.
Planting
Plant bare-root in late autumn or winter and pot-grown plants at any time the soil is workable. Work in some compost and water well during the first growing season. For an informal hedge, space plants about 45–60 cm apart.
Care through the year
Spring
Enjoy the flowers, then prune and give a general feed and mulch.
Summer
Water new plants in dry spells; mature shrubs rarely need help.
Autumn
Leaves sometimes turn yellow or purplish before dropping; plant new shrubs now.
Winter
Cut a few budded stems in February to bring indoors, where they open early in a vase.
Pruning
Forsythia flowers on stems made the previous summer, so prune right after flowering in April or May. Cut flowered shoots back to strong young growth and take out about a fifth of the oldest stems at the base. A regular annual prune avoids the shapeless, congested mound that forsythia becomes when trimmed with shears into a ball.
Propagation
Hardwood cuttings pushed into the ground in autumn root extremely easily. Branches touching the soil often layer themselves, giving free plants to pot up.
Common problems
Bullfinches sometimes strip flower buds in late winter. Forsythia gall produces knobbly woody lumps on stems, which can be pruned out. Poor flowering is nearly always caused by pruning at the wrong time of year.
Something else wrong? Diagnose it by symptom.
Month-by-month reminders
Jobs for this plant come round in February, March, April, May, October, November and December. Each month page lists everything else worth doing in the garden at the same time.
Related plants
Sources
Botanical names follow Kew's Plants of the World Online; growing attributes were checked against the references below. Text is our own. See our editorial policy.