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Border Forsythia Wikimedia Commons
Oleaceae

Border Forsythia

Forsythia x intermedia

Anticipation and new beginnings.

Family
Oleaceae
Genus
Forsythia
Native to
Garden origin (East Asian parentage)
Bloom season
Spring
Type
shrub
Height
6-10 ft
Sunlight
full sun to part shade
Soil
adaptable, well-drained
Water
moderate
Hardiness
5-8
Lifespan
perennial

Did you know

  • The genus is named after William Forsyth, a Scottish botanist who was a founding member of the Royal Horticultural Society.
  • It is a hybrid between F. suspensa (China) and F. viridissima (China), first bred in Germany around 1880.
  • Forsythia branches can be forced into bloom indoors in late winter by cutting stems and placing them in warm water.
  • In South Korea, the similar native forsythia (F. koreana) is so iconic that its flowers appear on coins and stamps.
  • The flowers appear before the leaves, creating solid masses of yellow along bare branches — one of the first signs of spring.

Color meanings

0

anticipation

1

new beginnings

2

spring joy

Uses

  • hedging
  • specimen shrub
  • forced branches for indoor display
  • spring borders