Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Forsythia x intermedia
Border Forsythia
- Family
- Oleaceae
- Height
- 6 to 10 feet
- Width
- 5 to 10 feet
- Flower color
- Vibrant yellow
- Foliage color
- Bright green
- Bloom time
- Early spring
- Light
- Prefers full sun to partial shade
- Water
- Somewhat drought-tolerant once established
- Maintenance
- Low
- Growing zone
- Hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8
- Wildlife
- The flowers attract bees and other pollinators
About this plant
Forsythia x intermedia, commonly known as Border Forsythia, is a deciduous shrub that belongs to the Oleaceae family and can grow up to 6 to 10 feet tall with a similar spread, depending on growing conditions. The main attraction of Border Forsythia is its vibrant yellow flowers, which appear in profusion along the bare stems in early spring, often before the leaves emerge. The bright green leaves are ovate to lanceolate and arranged oppositely along the stem.
Preferring full sun to partial shade, this low-maintenance shrub is best planted as a specimen or in mass plantings to create a striking display of yellow flowers in early spring. It can also be used as a hedge or screen due to its fast growth rate and dense branching habit. Pruning should be done immediately after flowering to control size and shape and encourage new growth and flowering for the next year. The flowers attract bees and other pollinators, while the dense branches provide cover for birds.
Works well in
Sun Gardens · Hedging & Privacy · Pollinator Gardens · Specimen Plants
Companion plants
Russian sage · Blue fescues · Coreopsis · Yarrow · Daylilies · Creeping phlox
Design tip
Forsythia creates its strongest effect when its yellow flowers can be seen as a broad sweep rather than isolated among other spring blooms. Use a single large specimen or repeat several shrubs along a boundary, with darker evergreens nearby providing contrast for the flower-covered bare branches.
