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Oleaceae FAMILY

Forsythia × intermedia

Forsythia × intermedia

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Shrub
Growth—

Forsythia × intermedia is a cold-hardy species, tolerating temperatures down to around -25°c[1]. An easily grown plant, it succeeds in a well drained ordinary garden soil but prefers a rich soil[2]. Succeeds in limy soils[3]. Prefers a sunny position but succeeds in semi shade[4]. Plants are tolerant of deep shade[5]. A very ornamental plant[2], there are several named varieties. Any pruning out of weak shoots, plus any trimming of hedges, is best done after the plant has flowered, since the plant flowers mainly on the previous year's wood[6, 1]. Birds may destroy the flower buds in cold areas[4]. This species is notably susceptible to honey fungus[4].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates within 2 months[PFAF]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. This is a hybrid species and seed will not come true to type. Cuttings of half-ripe wood 10 - 15cm taken at a node, mid summer in a frame. Plant out in autumn or spring. A very high percentage, they root within 3 weeks[7]. Cuttings of mature wood in a sheltered outdoor bed. Good percentage[7]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Forsythia+%C3%97+intermedia>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]KemperCentreForHomeGardeningPlantFinder — Missouri Botanical Garden · http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/ ↩︎Basic cultivation details, plant uses, habitat etc for several thousand species of plants, mainly from the temperate zone.
  2. [2]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  3. [3]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  4. [4]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  5. [5]Gardening on Walls — Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. · Collins · 1983 · ISBN 0-00-219220-0 ↩︎A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.
  6. [6]The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers — Brickell. C. · Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. · 1990 · ISBN 0-86318-386-7 ↩︎Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
  7. [7]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
  8. [8]New Trees — Grimshaw J.; Bayton R.; Wilks H. · Kew Publishing; London · 2009 · ISBN 1842461737 ↩︎Provides comprehensive botanical descriptions and horticultural commentary on over 800 tree species that have been introduced to cultivation in recent decades.
  9. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎