Shrub
Border forsythia
Forsythia × intermedia
A broad, fast-growing deciduous shrub that covers older shoots with bright yellow flowers in early spring. Cultivar size varies, and pruning immediately after flowering preserves the next display.
- Size
- 1.5–3 m high · 1.5–3.5 m wideVaries by cultivar
- Light
- Full sun / Partial shade
- Water
- Moderate
- Winter
- Hardy
- Seasonal form
- Deciduous
- Maintenance
- Moderate
Before planting
- Check the cultivar because compact and large forms need very different amounts of space.
- Flowers form on older wood, so pruning at the wrong time removes the next spring display.
Why choose it
- Provides a strong burst of colour very early in spring.
- Develops quickly into a robust informal screen.
Care
- Prune immediately after flowering rather than later in the season.
- Remove selected oldest stems at the base to renew an established shrub.
- Use a sunny position for the strongest flower display.