What goes well with forsythia?
- Boxwood.
- Shrub Holly.
- Laurel.
- Japanese Maple.
- Redbud.
- Dogwood.
How fast does forsythia spread?
It’s drought and salt tolerant and it grows fast, often
two feet or more per year
, depending upon the variety.
What is the lifespan of a forsythia bush?
Forsythia Lifespan:
20 to 50 Years
Forsythia will herald the coming of spring with it’s beautiful yellow flowers. They grow in a rounded shape and should be pruned right after flowering has ended.
Is forsythia toxic to dogs?
Forsythia
They are often used as a pop of color or a hedge and are
non-poisonous to dogs
. Since these safe plants are deciduous, they shed their leaves in fall.
Is forsythia good for privacy?
The plant is great for adding privacy
and for focal plants in a garden bed. It can reach tree size that is up to 8-10 feet tall, so needs room to grow. Mature forsythia plants that have not been kept under control can take up a lot of room in the garden. Keep your gardening habits in mind when planting them.
Forsythia leaves are medium to dark green in summer
. Fall leaf color is usually poor. Occasionally, however, leaves may turn pale yellow to reddish purple in fall. Forsythias are one of the last deciduous shrubs to drop their leaves in fall.
Make sure your forsythia bush gets
at least six hours of sunlight a day
. While it can tolerate less than this, your forsythia’s ability to flower will be reduced if it does not get full sun.
- Plant forsythias during the late fall or early spring.
- Choose a spot that gets direct sunlight.
- Plant forsythias in moist, fertile soil.
- Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball.
- Give the plants room to grow.
- Water forsythia regularly with two inches of water.
Make your top cuts a quarter of an inch above a leaf node, so that each has a node near its top, as well. Dip the base of each stem section into rooting hormone powder. Plant the cuttings in a container of compost or sterile potting medium, about four to six inches apart. Keep the container indoors or in a greenhouse.
Mulch around the base of the shrub to help retain moisture and keep soil temperatures even during the winter
. Don’t pile the mulch around the trunk of the plant since this can invite pests and disease. Prune the forsythia after it blooms to keep the plant healthy.
If you are wondering when to hard prune forsythias, the best answer is when the shrub gets really rangy looking, is overgrowing its space, or has dramatically reduced flowering due to old age.
Hard pruning forsythias is best done in late fall
. It is actually an easy technique.
Forsythia is said to be nontoxic to both pets and humans
. The petals have a bitter taste that helps to keep animals away. If this issue concerns you, this list of poisonous and non poisonous plants may be useful.
The lavender plant contains a compound called linalool, which
can be toxic to animals like dogs and cats
. However, the plant has such small concentrations of linalool that toxicity is not a common issue. The problem happens when dogs ingest an enormous amount of lavender.
Arborvitae (Thuja)
A good choice for large privacy hedges is the fast grower ‘Green Giant’, which can reach 50 to 60 feet tall (with a spread of 12 to 20 feet). If you want a bush that is more compact and do not mind waiting a bit longer, ‘Emerald Green’ arborvitae is a better option.
Forsythias are fast-growing shrubs that can grow
as much as 24 inches in a year
, especially the larger varieties. They are best planted in late fall or early spring while the plants are still dormant, but gardeners in frost-free climates can plant them in winter, as well.
Cardinals, finches, mockingbirds, blue jays, gold finches, grosbeaks, quail and grouse have also been known to feed on these fruit tree blossoms.
Both finches and cardinals also seem to be quite fond of forsythia flowers
.
Expect it to grow
12 feet wide
by 10 feet high and leave plenty of space; it will gain as much as 24 inches in a year. Forsythia is one of those plants, like crape myrtle, with such a beautiful natural form that it is extremely important to prune it correctly.
Since forsythia is a deciduous shrub,
it loses its leaves and goes dormant in winter
. However, that doesn’t mean that it can’t suffer from winter cold. Forsythia shrubs are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 8. The shrubs can survive cold temperatures down to -20 degrees F.
