Plant Image Data Base                                         

    Forsythia x intermedia

                         Forsythia, Border Forsythia, or Golden Bells

• Form
  • medium-sized deciduous shrub, sometimes pruned into small tree form
  • maturing at about 8' tall by 10' wide
  • upright oval, open, and straggly growth habit in youth quickly becomes an arching rounded, thick, and semi-pendulous growth habit with maturity
  • rapid growth rate
• Culture
  • full sun to partial shade (best performance and flowering occurs in full sun)
  • prefers moist, well-drained soils but is very adaptable to various soils, soil pHs, soil compaction, drought, heavy pruning, and pollution (and is therefore urban tolerant)
  • Olive Family, with few disease or pest problems of significance
  • abundantly available in ball and burlap or container forms
• Foliage
  • fall color is usually chartreuse, but is sometimes a mixture of chartreuse, yellow, red-wine, and purple foliage colors
• Flowers
  • bright yellow, usually from late March to mid-April and effective for one to two weeks
  • flowers occur in clusters, emerging before the foliage, with the four petals on each flower fused at their base

• Purpose
  • Forsythia is one of the first shrubs to flower, in late Winter and early Spring.
• Summary
  • Forsythia x intermedia is a vigorously growing shrub with showy bright yellow Spring flowers emerging before the foliage, often used as a Spring accent or as an informal barrier hedge.

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