Quick Facts
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Height at Maturity: 8-10 Feet
Usage: Flowering
Shipped As: Bare-root
Planting Zones: 5-8
Product Details
Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia), also called border forsythia, is the shrub that covers bare branches in yellow in early spring, before a single leaf opens. We ship it bare-root in 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4 foot sizes, in packs of 25, 50, 100 and 500, for hedges, slopes, borders and mass plantings.
Forsythia Size, Zones and Sun
A mature forsythia stands 8 to 10 feet tall and 10 to 12 feet wide, grows fast, and is hardy in zones 5-8. Full sun brings more flowers, and earlier ones, while part shade also works. Loose, well-drained soil of medium moisture is ideal, but average or poor ground, clay, sand, and acidic or alkaline soil are all fine. Drought, road salt and city air do not slow it down.
Forsythia Bloom Time and Pruning
Small yellow bells cover the bare stems in early spring, ahead of any leaves. The buds are set the summer before, so a pruner who waits past mid-July cuts off next year's flowers. The right time is just after bloom, taking out the oldest stems. Cold can spoil a season too: temperatures under -5 degrees F, or a freeze after the buds swell, can cost you flowers.
Forsythia for Hedges and Slopes
Set in a row, forsythia grows into a loose hedge, and on a bank its roots help hold the soil. Cut a few branches in late winter, put them in water indoors, and they open in the vase. For setting out shrubs in bulk, read our planting tips for wholesale shrub orders.
Good to Know About Forsythia
Forsythia sends up suckers, and deer sometimes browse it. Leaf spot, crown gall and dieback are the diseases listed for it, and aphids and spider mites the pests. See ideas for pairing forsythia with other spring shrubs.
Forsythia Sizes, Packs and Shipping
Forsythia ships bare-root in November, in 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4 foot sizes and packs of 25, 50, 100 and 500. Volume pricing available. Browse more shrubs for sale.