Forsythia × intermedia
Common name: 
Border Forsythia
Pronunciation: 
for-SITH-ee-a in-ter-ME-di-a
Family: 
Oleaceae
Genus: 
Forsythia
Type: 
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon: 
No
  • Deciduous shrub 8-10 ft (2.5-3 m) high and 10-12 ft (3-4 m) wide, upright, rank growing, arching branches. Stem 4-sided, many lenticels, chambered pith. Leaves opposite, simple, usually toothed on the upper half, ovate-oblong to oblong lanceolate, 7.5-13 cm long, medium to dark green above, lighter below. Flowers perfect, 3-4 cm long, pale to deep yellow, 4-lobed corollas, appear in early spring. Fruit a brown capsule, 8 mm long, not showy.
  • Sun to maximize flowers production. Prefers a loose soil, but will perform well in about any soil. Needs grooming, prune after flowering by removing oldest stems or to the ground.
  • Hardy to USDA Zone 4 (vegetative), Zone 6 (consistent flowering).    A cross between F. viridissima and F. suspensa var. fortunei in Germany.
  • Many cultivars, some of the common ones include: 'Lynwood Gold' ('Lynwood'), 'Spectabilis', and 'Spring Glory'.
  • More cold hardy Forsythia (USDA Zone 3-4) have been developed from F. ovata, often crossed with F. europea.  These include, among others, 'Meadowlark', 'Northern Gold', 'Northern Sun', and 'Sunrise'.
Click image to enlarge
  • plant habit, early spring flowering

    plant habit, early spring flowering

  • plant habit, flowering

    plant habit, flowering

  • plant habit, flowering

    plant habit, flowering

  • sheared habit, flowering

    sheared habit, flowering

  • flowering branches

    flowering branches

  • flowers

    flowers

  • plant habit, winter, spring, and summer

    plant habit, winter, spring, and summer

  • leafy shoot

    leafy shoot

  • leaves

    leaves

  • plant habit, fall

    plant habit, fall

  • leaves, fall

    leaves, fall

  • dormant twigs, buds

    dormant twigs, buds