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Forsythia × intermedia

Border Forsythia

Pronunciation
for-sith'i-a in-ter-me'de-a
Family
Genus
Growth Habit

Suckering, thicket-forming, often unkempt, dense shrub with arching branches.

Hardiness
6
Culture

Most soils, prefers full sun

Facultative Status
Prefers good quality, loose soil but will tolerate most soil types
Landscape Use

A widely used shrub, popluar for mass plantings groupings and bank plantings. It has arching canes that create a dense floppy appearance. The selling attribute of Forsythia x intermedia is the golden yellow profusion of flowers borne in the very early spring. Indeed, this plant's flowers are one of the true harbingers of spring. Unfortunately the flowers are very susceptible to frost, so late freezes can kill a plant very easily. Ocassionaly the fall color will be a pleasant reddish violet but usually its a dull green yellow. Plant in full sun for optimum flower show.

Foliage

Medium to dark green in summer. Opposite, simple, toothed usually on the upper one-half, ovate-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 3 to 5 inches long, yellow fall color.

Buds

Buds are imbricate, conical, light yellow-brown, loosely scaled

Bark

brown

Flower

Golden yellow flowers. Perfect, pale to deep yellow about 1.5 inches, 4 lobed corollas

Fruit

Two-celled, dehiscent, brown capsule, .33 inch long often housing many winged seeds

Propagation

Softwood cuttings are easy to root. Treat with 1000-3000 ppm KIBA quick dip. Should root in 3 or 4 weeks. Hardwood cuttings will also root.

Pests
None serious.
Cultivars

'Arnold Brilliant'

'Arnold Giant'

'Beatrix Farrand'

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