Spears of golden flowers
The arrival of forsythia’s prolific flowers awakens the garden with sunny colour
Piercing the pale light of an early March morning, a multitude of golden-yellow blooms bring a welcome flash of sunshine to the garden. Whether tucked in the corner of a small plot, forming a boundary or planted to make a statement, few hardy shrubs have made themselves quite as at home as the forsythia. Its vibrant displays are seen as frequently across the country as its cousins, the privet and lilac. Forsythia mainly have flowers of a similar colour and vary little in leaf shape and hue. Most garden forsythias are selections of the hybrid F. x intermedia and are upright and bushy, but some species have a spreading habit, particularly F. suspensa, which can be grown as a wall shrub. In summer, the branches of all are covered in pairs of opposite, lance-shaped, mid green leaves, which may be toothed. In autumn, the foliage usually turns yellow before it falls, though it may also develop shades of pink or purple if the weather is sunny and dry. But it is for their flowers that these shrubs are valued. From just above the leaf scars on the stems of the previous year’s growth, one or two flower buds are produced, and more in some hybrids. These open to bright yellow blooms, each with four petals up to 1½in (4cm) long. The petals are fused at the base to form a short tube, but the flowers have a starry appearance. Opening in late February and early March, the flowers appear before the leaves emerge, creating clouds of bright colour which are unrivalled by any other hardy shrub at this time of year or later in the season. Although they have no scent, the blooms attract bees and other pollinators. Most forsythia grow to approximately 6ft 6in (2m) high and have a similar spread, but they can be controlled with pruning. Many modern varieties have a more compact habit as well as prolific and more showy flowers.
Pretty but practical
The forsythia genus is a small one. All are native to East Asia except one, F. europaea, from Eastern Europe, the least ornamental species, with smaller, more sparse flowers appearing later in the season.
It is not in cultivation in gardens, nor has it been used in creating the hybrids that are grown. Of the remaining species, the most important are F. suspensa, originating in China, but long grown in Japan; and the Chinese F. viridissima. These have been combined several times to produce a clutch of hybrids called F. x intermedia, to which most garden forsythia belong. Forsythia suspensa is a large, rambling shrub, up to 30ft (9m) high, whereas F. viridissima is more contained, flowering later than most other examples. The genus is named after William Forsyth, the Scottish botanist born in 1737 and creator of one of the first rock gardens, at the Chelsea Physic Garden in London. He is also notable for his formula to repair tree wounds, made from a concoction of lime, dung, ashes and soap. Forsythia suspensa was first introduced to Europe in 1833 and F. viridissima in 1845. The beauty and usefulness of the shrubs must have been recognised quickly because it was as early as 1868 that both were hybridised in the USA to combine the early-flowering habit of the former with the more compact habit of the latter. It is not known if any plants were raised from this first cross, but it was repeated again in Germany in 1886 and many times after that.
Of these, ‘Spectabilis’, raised in 1906, is the only one of the old varieties to remain. It has large flowers, often with more than the usual four petals, and they are very abundant. It is seen less often on sale today, but has been important in the development of others. The best known of the ‘Spectabilis’ offspring is ‘Lynwood’, found in a garden in Co Tyrone and introduced in 1935. It arose as a natural mutation and has less flared flowers than its parent, but is very free flowering and is a more attractive shrub.
Fresh foliage
When judiciously pruned, cutting away the oldest stems in spring after flowering, forsythia are spectacular shrubs, their upright stems studded with starry blooms along their length. If left unpruned, most become spreading with age, the flowers restricted to the outside of the plant. As the flowers fade, the remaining few are joined by bright, emerging foliage. After an exceptionally cold winter and late spring, which may delay flowering; or an on-off spring, which in recent years has more frequently affected the British Isles, the flowers may overlap more with the young leaves. However, this still results in an impressive display, be it one of lemon and lime rather than pure gold. The new foliage tidily hides any remains of fading flowers and is a sign that it is now time for a prune.
Growth and maintenance
Newly planted, a forsythia may make little progress for a year as it becomes established and prioritises root growth. This is normal and should not be a cause for concern. Forsythia can be planted in most soils, including chalky sites, but they grow and flower best in soil that is moderately rich and neither waterlogged in winter nor dust-dry in summer. Before planting, the soil should be improved by forking in well-rotted manure or garden compost, and the shrub should be well watered for the first season to ensure it can properly establish. Like any shrub or tree, the best times to plant are in autumn, winter or spring. However, as this is one case in which it is acceptable to plant the shrub in full bloom, the choice can be based on how the plant looks at the garden centre.
ProPagation
Forsythia are easily propagated by cuttings. These can be taken in summer from sideshoots or from hardwood cuttings in autumn, when the leaves have fallen, and are trimmed to approximately 1ft (30cm) long. They can be inserted into the garden soil, with two-thirds below soil level, and left to root. They should sprout in spring and be ready to lift the following autumn.
As soon as flowering has finished, all the flowered stems should be cut away to near their base, to encourage strong new stems that will flower prolifically the following spring. The ultimate size will depend on the variety but most will grow to a height and spread of approximately 6ft 6in (2m). This will be reached within a few years and, after that, annual pruning is needed to maintain the size. Forsythia tolerate severe pruning and if a plant has been neglected, no harm will be done by sawing it down to near ground level in spring. However, this will not reduce the ultimate size of the plant: shrubs always grow to balance the roots and top growth, so growth after severe pruning will always be vigorous. These strong, upright shoots may not bloom as well in the first spring as the following year, when flowering will be as expected. It is always best to remove a few of the older stems every year to maintain a balance of young, free-flowering branches.
Water supply
Forsythia can be grown as a hedge, but the annual clipping of outer, young growth will result in a build-up of twigs in the centre which is not conducive to a mass of flowers. In these circumstances, it is best to get into the middle of the plant with loppers every other year and cut out some of the