How to Plant, Grow, and Care For Forsythia

Nothing quite screams spring like yellow daffodils backed by vibrant yellow forsythia blossoms. These flowering shrubs provide much-needed color and hope to an otherwise dreary backdrop.

These harbingers of spring can be used as hedges or specimen plants. They work beautifully in either situation—it’s up to you! 

If you love these flowering beauties, let’s take a deeper dive into everything you need to know to plant, grow, and care for forsythia. 

What Is It?

No matter what species or variety you have in your garden, this shrub is most known for its stunningly bright yellow flowers that appear in spring. Varieties vary in growth habits as well as size. This shrub is named after William Forsyth, one of the founders of the Royal Horticultural Society.

Native Area

Forsythia are native to areas of Asia as well as Europe. As these shrubs grew in popularity they traveled through Europe and North America, where they were hybridized and perfected for many garden uses.

Characteristics

The branches will be adorned by yellow flowers in the spring before the foliage appears. These pretty yellow flowers are bell-shaped and will cover the entire branch, often in clusters. The ovate leaves remain attractive throughout the summer and often take on a shade of red or purple in the fall. 

Planting

Adding forsythia to your gardens is quite simple. You will often see these flowering shrubs placed front and center at your garden centers in the springtime. While spring is a suitable time to plant them, fall is the recommended time. This is because the plant is dormant in the fall, meaning it will not require as much water as plants will in the springtime. 

To plant your new forsythia:

1. Start by digging a hole twice as wide and twice as deep as the rootball.
2. Place the shrub in the hole, ensuring that the crown of the plant is level with the ground.
3. Backfill the hole with your garden soil, and pack lightly.
4. Water!

Growing from Seed

Forsythia shrubs can be grown from seed if you have the patience for it! Purchase seeds or harvest your own from the brown pods your shrub produces after flowering ends. If your plant does not produce any seed pods, it is sterile, and you will need to purchase your seeds. 

To sow seeds:

1. Sow seeds in groups into containers filled with growing medium. Lightly cover the seeds.
2. Cover your containers or trays with a plastic cover or a plastic bag to retain humidity.
3. Place your containers or trays in bright but indirect light. 
4. Keep your eyes open for germination! When you notice your seedlings are growing, remove the humidity cover. 
5. Keep the soil moist.
6. Transplant seedlings into larger containers or directly into the ground in the springtime once the threat of frost has passed. 

Growing in Containers

Forsythia makes a lovely container plant. This is a great way to add this plant to your gardens if you do not have the correct light requirements or the space! This is a rapidly spreading shrub, and a container is a great way to control that spread. Use compost as well as a well-draining potting mix, and ensure that the container has drainage holes.  Be prepared to repot into larger containers every two or three years.

How to Grow

Forsythia does not need much from us to maintain its beauty. However, growing any plant in the right environment is the key to a long-living and happy plant. Let’s look at a few details that will allow your forsythia to thrive. 

Light

For your forsythia to produce the maximum amount of flowers, it needs at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. If your garden does not get this much sunlight, consider buying a smaller forsythia and planting it in a large container. 

Water

Watering your forsythia shrubs should only be a cause for concern in the first few seasons it is growing in your yard. Until your shrub is well-established it needs a minimum of two inches of rain per week. 

Once you feel your shrub is well-established, you can nearly forget about watering it. These shrubs have shown to be drought tolerant at times, but during long periods without rain, be sure not to forget about your beautiful shrubs!

Soil

Have I mentioned that forsythia are very tough plants yet? These plants prefer well-draining soil, but aside from that, they’re not picky about the type of soil in which they grow. If you do find that your soil is heavily compacted, amending it before planting new shrubs can allow your forsythia to establish more quickly. 

Temperature and Humidity

Forsythia grows best in USDA zones 5-9. If you are living in these zones, your shrub should grow happily. These do not like it too dry, and they also do not like it overly humid. The wrong conditions can cause the plant to wilt or skip a season of flowering. When selecting a forsythia for your gardens, be sure to select a variety that is best for the climate where you live. 

Fertilizing

After your forsythia has been growing in your garden for at least one year, you can begin fertilizing. Use a generic granular fertilizer around the base of the shrub throughout the spring and summer. Follow the directions on whichever product you use to ensure your forsythia receives the correct dosage of nutrients. 

Maintenance

Forsythia shrubs, I repeat, are very low-maintenance and undemanding shrubs. The beauty of these shrubs is their wildness unless you are growing them as a hedge, of course. 

Pruning

Pruning is not always necessary. However, forsythia shrubs are known to have a bit of an unruly and wild growth habit.  Pruning should be done right after flowering has ended. If you wait too long to prune, you will remove flower buds, and your shrub will not flower for at least one season. 

1. Using hand pruners or loppers, remove growth from the top and sides of your shrub.
2. A good rule of thumb to remember is to remove ⅓ of the plant at a maximum.
3. Start slowly. You can always go back and prune more.
4. Look for any deadwood and remove that from within the plant. 
5. The shape of the forsythia should be attractive to you. Keep in mind that their growth can be unpredictable, so starting with a shape you like will get you started on the right foot. 

Propagation

The best and easiest way to propagate these shrubs is through cuttings. These plants root easily! You can even root stems that you have purchased from your local florist in the springtime. Let’s take a look at this simple process!

Cuttings

1. Take your cuttings in late spring or early summer, or replicate the process with cut forsythia stems that you have purchased from a local florist for spring decor. 
2. Remove a few sets of the bottom leaves to expose growth points.
3. Stick the cutting into a moistened sterile medium such as sand, perlite, or peat moss. 
4. Keep the medium moist by checking daily until the cutting has established roots that are one inch or longer. 
5. Once you have matured roots, you can transplant the cuttings into a larger pot if you wish. 
6. Wait one to two growing seasons before planting your cutting in the ground. 

Layering

Layering is an easy way to propagate forsythia right in your garden. 

1. Find a low-growing branch, and remove some bark and leaves from a portion of the branch that is nearest the ground.
2. Dig a shallow trench near this branch and place the branch into the trench. 
3. Cover the buried branch with soil and weigh it down with a rock or brick. 
4. In time, roots will form from the buried or layered portion of the branch. When this occurs, you can cut the rooted area away from the mother plant. 
5. You can transplant this new plant from the mother plant to another area of your garden or allow it to grow in place. 

Popular Varieties

Forsythia is a large genus featuring two common species: weeping and greenstem. You may notice many “intermedia” forsythia. This is a sign that both of these species have been used to hybridize a new variety. 

Forsythia ‘Lynwood Variety’

	botanical name Forsythia x intermedia ‘Lynwood Variety’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-9 feet
	hardiness zones 6-9

‘Lynwood Variety’ is an award-winning forsythia noted for its large flowers. This variety grows in a rigid, upright manner and remains extremely attractive even after the blooming period.

In autumn, the green leaves will take on a lovely shade of purple, making this a true three-season shrub. Plant ‘Lynwood Variety’ as a hedge or in a grouping. 

Forsythia ‘Meadowlark’

	botanical name Forsythia spp. ‘Meadowlark’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8-10 feet
	hardiness zones 3-8

If you live in a colder climate, ‘Meadowlark’ is a great option for you. This variety blooms at the end of winter into the beginning of spring with classic bright yellow flowers.

‘Meadowlark’ is a larger variety with branches that can reach up to ten feet in length. This variety has a little bit more of a wild growth habit, making for a beautiful display, especially when planted in groupings. 

Forsythia ‘Happy Centennial’

	botanical name Forsythia spp. ‘Happy Centennial’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-3 feet
	hardiness zones 5-9

‘Happy Centennial’ is a great forsythia variety if you don’t have a lot of vertical space or are looking for a variety to plant in a container. This variety will grow wider than it is tall, up to five feet in width.

Blooming in early to mid-spring, the flowers will be replaced with leathery green leaves. ‘Happy Centennial’ is known to not only survive but bloom prolifically after harsh winters. 

Forsythia ‘Show Off’

	botanical name Forsythia x intermedia ‘Show Off’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 5-6 feet
	hardiness zones 5-8

‘Show Off’ is perfect for those of us who love flowers but may only have a few feet to give our shrubs. ‘Show Off’ produces the same bright yellow flowers that forsythia is known for. However, this variety is densely packed with flower buds. Use this variety as a border plant or a hedge. 

Common Problems

Even the lowest maintenance plants can run into some issues in your gardens. Let’s take a look at the most common problems you may encounter with forsythia.  

Pests

Forsythia shrubs may run into minor issues with common garden insects. These pests may include aphids, beetles, and spider mites. For the most part, these insects will not cause long-term damage to your shrubs, and you will likely find them on your shrubs if they are under stress.

Hose your shrubs down if you see these insects present on your forsythia. If you would like to take it a step further, you can use neem or another horticultural oil to help rid your plant of these annoying pests. 

Diseases

Forsythias typically do not run into too much trouble with disease. You may notice galls on the stems of your shrub. These galls are fungal and can be treated with a broad-spectrum fungicide from your local garden center. These galls occur due to too much moisture or humidity. You can prevent the galls by keeping the interior of your forsythia pruned to allow greater air circulation.

Frequently Asked Questions