Outstanding Features:
Noted for its very early, yellow spring bloom.

Description:
Height: 8-10'
Width: 8-10'
Hardiness Zone: 3b for Meadowlark, Northern Gold, Northern Sun and Vermont Sun.

Forsythia are large shrubs that are well known for the masses of clear yellow flowers that cover the plant and provide a spectacular display. They are the first very showy woody plant to flower in spring. Forsythias are very rapid growers and can get quite overgrown if not given occasional renewal pruning. The form tends to be upright spreading, with some shoots heading up and others arching over, leading to a somewhat unkempt appearance. Foliage turns reddish purple in fall on some cultivars and yellow on others.

Requirements and Culture:
Plant in a sunny location. Although they tolerate light shade, they do not flower profusely in shady sites. Needs renewal pruning to maintain a better plant form and to produce the maximum number of flowers.

Limitations:
No serious pests. Most species and cultivars of Forsythia have limited flower bud hardiness. Choose only the more hardy cultivars for use in the upper midwest.

Selected Cultivars:

'Northern Sun', 'Meadowlark', and 'Northern Gold' are all hybrids between Forsythia europaea and Forsythia ovata. They are quite large in size and are the most cold hardy.

'Vermont Sun'- is a cultivar of Forsythia mandshurica. It is more upright in plant habit, blooms slightly earlier, and has larger flowers than the preceeding cultivars. Its hardiness is about equal to those listed above.

'Sunrise'- has a good, compact plant habit maturing at 5-6 ft. in height and spread. Its midwinter flower bud hardiness is comparable to the above but it hardens slightly later in the fall and is more frequently injured during early winters. It rarely flowers satisfactorily in zone 3b.

Photo Credit: 1, 2 & 3 MLA. Photo 1 is 'Vermont Sun', 2 & 3 are 'Northern Sun'.

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