How many of us have driven by a Forsythia shrub gone wild? A popular hedge plant, forsythia is readily available in nurseries so it is used a lot in suburban gardens. Unfortunately, these shrubs are rarely maintained properly so they eventually become unsightly and out of control. Sadly, this gives the shrub a bad name!
I love forsythias because you can force them in winter and get lovely flowers, when they bloom they announce that Spring has arrived, they are reliable in the landscape and lastly, their fall color is pretty decent. Named for William Forsyth (1737-1804), a renowned Scottish horticulturist, forsythia is one of the most recognized spring shrubs with its great yellow splash in April.
Forsythia is an adaptable plant and you can use it just about anywhere – shrub borders, parking lot islands and backyards. It tolerates a variety of light exposures, different types of soil and even pollution. Optimum conditions are full sun and well drained soil. It is fast growing and is great to plant as a screen or to hide something unsightly.
Forsythia is a cane-growing shrubs which means that it has long arching branches that rise out of the ground. When pruned, forsythia rejuvenates by sending up new canes. Because flowers bloom on last year’s growth, pruning is often recommended after flowering so that you do not cut off the flowers before they have bloomed. However, it is easier to prune forsythia when there are no leaves on the shrub, especially if it is very overgrown, so winter or early spring is fine as well. You’ll just have less blooms that year. In winter, Forsythia is easily recognized by its arching habit and the large number of buds and lenticels (tiny marks) on the canes.
Forsythias are not tidy plants and their form is vase-like with arching feathers. They tip-root which means that when the tops of their canes hit the ground, they can root and create a new shrub. In this way, one shrub can create an entire colony. If you want to maintain the shrub in an area, then you can cut out these starter shrubs and corral the plant back to the original size.
Somehow, Forsythias often grow much larger than what was expected even though many of these shrubs are supposed to be 10-12′ tall. Pruning can get help tidy up the shrubs but nothing is going to keep them from growing to their natural size. If they are too large for where you planted them, it’s best to try and move them to a place that has more space.
The way to prune forsythia is to cut out canes at the base. Of course, you would first prune all of the dead wood since this is the place most susceptible to disease and insects . Next you would remove up to 1/3 of the oldest canes, those that are thickest. This in itself will thin out the bush and make it smaller. Start underneath at the bottom of the shrub and work your way to the top in a spiral fashion. Remove old canes but also get those that are rubbing and crossing in a bad way. Every branch may be crossing but don’t despair! You just have to remove 1/3 not get every one to get things under control. You may also consider limbing up the plant top make it look a bit better. This means cutting off some of the low branches that are lying on the ground. For those plants that are really looking like they need serious rejuvenation, cut them back to the ground and they’ll regrow in a season or two. Forsythias can take this type of hard pruning.
Some of the varieties available include:
Forsythia x ‘Arnold Dwarf’ – used as a ground cover, because it spreads and reroots, it is great for erosion control on a bank, attractive foliage, 3-4′
Forsythia ‘Kumson’ – this shrub has silvery veins in the leaves and nice yellow flowers
Forsythia x intermedia ‘Lynwood Gold’ – old time favorite, upright spreading habit, dense growing and very reliable, flowers are evenly distributed on the stem, upright branching, 7′
Forsythia ‘Meadowlark’ – light yellow flowers, superior bud hardiness, 10′
Forsythia x intermedia ‘Northern Gold’ – superior bud hardiness in cold climates, grey yellow branches, 6-8′
Forsythia x intermedia ‘Spring Glory’ – a softer yellow flower, grows to 10′ tall.
Forsythia suspensa – a fountain-like weeping shrub, flowers less profuse than other hybrids, makes an interesting focal point in the garden, great for cutting and forcing, branches can trail 20-30′
Here are two good sources for forsythia:
Nature Hills – An easy web site to navigate and great choices.
Forest Farm – This is my absolute favorite retail catalog when I need to find specialty plants. There are no pictures, just information, but their choice is amazing.
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