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| Forsythia x intermedia
Border forsythiaCulture: Easy to grow and tolerant of many conditions, this species prefers full sun for best flowering. Plants grown in the shade flower very poorly. Cold winter temperatures often kill the flower buds, although stems remain alive. The presence of snow during cold spells can result in lines of demarcation, below which flowers open in the spring and above which the flowers are killed. A variety of hardier cultivars and hybrids are available for cold climates. Suggested cultivars of this hybrid include 'Karl Sax', 'Lynwood' and 'Spectabilis'. There are a variety of more cold tolerant cultivars that differ in their parentage but include 'Meadowlark', 'Northern Gold', 'Northern Sun' and Forsythia ovata cultivars. The Border forsythia has a few problems but none of them do much damage. They are tough plants. I have even sprayed mature plants with glyphosate herbicide with no ill effects. In order for forsythias to look their best, they all require regular renewal pruning, where the oldest branches are removed to the ground. For best flowering, plants should not be sheared. Usage: This species is useful for specimens, border plantings, and screens. They do not make good hedge plants, as most of the flower buds are removed during shearing. |
