Forsythias' first bright yellow blooms a welcome sign of spring in Ohio
Forsythias are deciduous, flowering shrubs that are so very welcome in the early spring. They sport bright yellow blossoms.
The shrub is named for the Scottish botanist William Forsyth. Forsythias are sometimes called “golden bells” because to some their flowers look like tiny golden bells. The flowers bloom well before the leaves appear on the shrub, which allows us to see the beautiful blossoms without the leaves blocking our view.
Forsythia is a genus of flowering plant that native to eastern Asia. They belong to the olive family, Oleaceae. The genus contains about 11 species. The claimed number of species varies due to debates about how the many hybrids and cultivars in the genus should be classified.
Forsythia can be fully-grown shrubs
Depending on the species, these fully-grown shrubs can be 2 feet to 10 feet tall and 2 feet to 10 feet wide. Many people use multiple Forsythia shrubs to form a barrier, or privacy wall. In the summer and fall they are fully leafed out to provide the barrier. However, by then the showy yellow blooms are faded until the following spring. To make a barrier, plant Forsythia every 4 feet to 6 feet apart to allow for expansion.
I enjoy the standalone shrubs, but they require some pruning to keep an attractive shape and to keep them from going completely wild. A word of caution; if you are going to prune a Forsythia shrub, it needs to be done shortly after the blossoms have faded. The plant will set the buds for the following spring relatively soon. If you wait too long to prune, you will risk cutting off all the buds and, while you will not kill the shrub, you won’t have the reward of the beautiful, bright flowers next season.
Forsythia is not too picky and fairly tolerant of poor garden soil. Once established, they have some drought resistance. Plant Forsythias to receive at least 6 hours of direct sun. Just driving around Northwest Ohio in early spring, we can see the shrubs thrive in this area in residential yards and along roadways and wooded areas.
Use stem cutting to propagate the shrub
An easy way to propagate Forsythia is through a stem cutting in early to mid-summer. Another way to propagate is by a process called layering. This is done by taking a long branch on an existing shrub and bending it down so a node touches the ground. Gently scrape off the bark below and above the node. Keep the bent branch in place with a rock so it touches the soil and wait. If all goes well, roots will form along the layered branch. You can then cut the branch from the parent plant, dig up the newly rooted branch and plant it at another location.
Forsythia is considered a fast-growing plant. The roots will spread aggressively, and they can be difficult to eradicate if you should want to remove the shrub. However, it is not listed on any state or national invasive species lists.
Information reviewed for this article came from the following: the online sites The Spruce; "Forsythia: Plant Care & Growing Guide," by David Beaulieu; and "Owlcation; Beautiful Flowers of Early Spring," by Linda Crampton, "The World Book Encyclopedia," 1965, and the author’s experience.
Joy Ceraldi is a master gardener with the Sandusky and Ottawa Counties Extension Offices.
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Master gardener: Forsythias' first bright yellow blooms signal spring
