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You truly know spring is here when the yellow blooms of the forsythia appear. They seem to be everywhere – in yards, hedges and along the highway. Once the blooms are done, they are covered with lovely green foliage that makes an attractive hedge or shrub – in whatever size you choose up to ten feet in any direction.
Keep in mind that the trimming required for a neatly shaped hedge will require cutting off new growth that produces flowers in the spring.
A huge bonus for us in northern New Jersey is that this shrub is deer-resistant.
These hardy plants can spread to anywhere their branches touch the ground but they are relatively easy to control. Prune a few of the old wood branches down to about 4 inches, leaving last year’s new branches intact. If you cut these, you may be cutting off the new crop of blossoms.
The Forsythia is named after William Forsyth, a Scottish botanist who was royal head gardener and a founding member of the Royal Horticultural Society. Forsythia was first “discovered” in Japan and imported into Holland. It seems strange to think that it was considered a rarity when these days, some consider it almost a weed due to its habit of spreading.
Consider this for your yard. For a particularly spectacular variety, check out Proven Winner’s Show Off®