• blooms early in the year, late March or early April
• primrose yellow flowers emerge before leaves
• branches especially suited to cutting and forcing indoors
• prefers well-drained moist soil
• will tolerate drought once established
• prefers sun for best bloom but will tolerate partial shade
• fast grower
• 10-12′ tall X 6-8′ wide, depending on species
• deer resistant
• prune to remove old or unwanted branches immediately after blooming or leave to form natural shape

Way back in early January when it was -15C outside, I cut one small branch of Forsythia to see if it would bloom indoors. It did and it can be seen in the picture above. I usually cut branches in early March after my bulbs have finished and I need flowers. Forsythia flowers start to form the previous spring after the shrub has bloomed and are fully formed by late autumn, ready to burst open during the first glimpse of spring. This is why I love Forsythia.

There are many varieties of Forsythia but the toughest for our climate is ‘Northern Gold’ bred by Agriculture Canada. This hardy shrub can be used in commercial settings to form a hedge or as a single shrub in the home garden as a spring feature underplanted with bulbs. Once the blooming time is over the relatively plain green foliage forms a good backdrop for shorter summer flowering perennials and annuals.

The shrub is a fast grower and can become straggly. It is a matter of taste as to whether you prune for shape or leave to become a rambling eyecatcher in spring. It is important to remember if you prune you will be removing next year’s flowers so consider each branch carefully!