This week... Forsythia

Spring-flowering forsythias produce a dazzling display of bright-yellow flowers

- GRAHAM RICE

THERE are few shrubs that bring us dazzling colour during this gloomy time of year. However, one such plant is forsythia. Its vivid yellow flowers line its winter branches, and if ever you see a gleam of shining canary-yellow flashing through the winter light, it will be forsythia.

These are vigorous deciduous shrubs that will take almost any temperatures that the winter throws at them. If left unpruned the plants develop into large bushes that may reach 10ft (3m) in height or more, although pruning has a dramatic influence on their size. Some dwarf varieties are more compact.

Flowers on bare branches

The flowers line the bare branches in late winter and early spring, and in some varieties they are crowded tightly while in others they are a little more distantly spaced. Up to five flowers are clustered together at each leaf joint and each is more or less bell-shaped, with four All evenly spaced points, and up to 1in (2.5cm) across.

The flowers are yellow, some more golden than others, and a few almost primrose yellow in colour – but always yellow. The time at which the flowers open, and how long they remain bright, is controlled by a combination of rising temperatures and lengthening days. In mild areas, the flowers open earlier.

The leaves develop after flowering, or soon before the flowers fade, and for the rest of the year until the leaves drop in autumn there is not much to see. With forsythias, it is all about that early display.

How to grow forsythia