Photo courtesy Proven Winners.
Driving around in March reveals which forsythias were cut back late summer or early fall. Forsythia blooms on old wood, which means this year’s branches hold next spring’s blooms. Pruning this shrub late in the season or in winter removes the flowers programmed to bloom in spring. A lot of times the yellow flowers are clustered at the base of the shrub where leaves have accumulated. The main message: Prune right after the flower fall.
Forsythia comes in all sizes. The older varieties can get large – tall and wide – and they tend to sucker widely. There are several. smaller varieties available, which work much better in urban landscapes. Grow forsythia in full sun.
Forsythias are appreciated because they bloom early with bright yellow flowers on arching branches. There’s a white forsythia but it’s a different species, Abeliophyllum distichum.
Select your forsythia for size. And remember plants always look better when allowed to be themselves, rather than pruned into balls, rectangles or table tops.