Botanica Atlanta Landscape Design

Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia) is one of those unsung heroes in the landscape. Through the year forsythia fades into the background. After all, its foliage isn't very exciting and its form unremarkable. And it's so low maintenance that it is easy to forget. But in late February and early March, forsythia is once again valued for its role in the garden - to brighten up gray winter days and to remind us that spring is just around the corner.

Photo credit: Susan Schurr

Forsythia is named for William Forsyth, one of the founders of the Royal Horticultural Society. Native to Asia and the Orient, forsythia has about a dozen species and many hybrids.

Photo credit: The Gardeners' Network

Site forsythia in full sun to partial sun in zones 4 - 8. Forsythia makes no particular demands on its environment or owners. Forsythia will thrive in average soil, in drought and in pollution. This shrub does not typically have pest or fungus problems. Reaching average heights of 6 - 8 feet or more, forsythia grows about a foot or more per year and benefits from pruning to shape, promote bushiness and blooms, or confine to a particular size. Forsythia blooms on old wood, so prune just after blooms are spent to get the most color from your shrub. This is also the best time to fertilize with an all-purpose 10-10-10 garden fertilizer. New plants can be propagated by cutting or layering.

Landscape designers use forsythia to screen a view, draw attention to other plants with winter interest, mask electrical poles and guy wires or electrical boxes, or create a hedge. But the real payoff comes in the dead of winter, when the days are short and the skies are bleak. Forsythia is a ray of sunshine and a vision of hope for the coming of spring.

Author: Cloud Q. Conrad