Forsizia

Class

Dicotyledoneae

Division

Angiospermae

Family

Oleaceae

Order

Lamiales

Genus

Forsythia

Species

x intermediate

Description

A deciduous garden shrub that blooms in late winter and bursts into a marvellous display of golden-yellow flowers before the leaves appear.

It has a shrub-like habit which, depending on the variety, can be dwarf and almost ground-covering (40–60 cm, such as Forsythia ‘Marée d’or’), spreading and sometimes weeping (150–200 cm) or very vigorous and upright (over 200 cm). Full sun is recommended, as this ensures the best possible flowering and growth habit. Forsythia also performs well in partial shade, whilst in full shade – although it can tolerate conditions it does not favour – it flowers sparingly and the foliage is sparse.

A plant found in many gardens and never unremarkable, precisely because of its spectacular flowering and resilience to harsh weather conditions. It has no particular soil requirements and adapts easily to any situation, although it does not thrive in soil that is excessively dry or too damp.

Curiosities and special features

The name of the botanical genus pays tribute to W. Forsyth, the 18th-century Scottish superintendent of the Royal Gardens at Kensington Palace, whilst the epithet ‘intermedia’ refers to the characteristics that are intermediate between those of the parent species from which the hybrid is derived.

Forsythia is often described as the ‘harbinger of spring’ due to its golden-yellow flowers, which brighten up your gardens at a time of year when few other plants are in bloom.

Origin and distribution

A hybrid of Forsythia suspensa × Forsythia viridissima, it combines the profuse flowering of the former species with the elegant foliage of the latter.

Native to Asia (China and Japan), F. suspensa arrived in Europe in the 19th century, whilst F. viridissima is native to southern China and South Korea.

The hybrid was first described by the German botanist Herman Zabel; it has been present in Italy since the early 1900s.