Forsythia, Spring Fling Forsythia x intermedia 'UMNFOR01' Height: 6 feet Spread: 6 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 5a Other Names: Border Forsythia, Goldenbells Brand: First Editions Description: A beautiful beacon of spring, with densely massed, bright yellow blooms covering the branches of this rounded, upright shrub in spring; small green leaves appear afterwards; perfect as an accent for spring borders, or massed to create a dense hedge Ornamental Features Forsythia, Spring Fling is blanketed in stunning yellow bell-shaped flowers along the branches in early spring before the leaves. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has emerald green deciduous foliage. The glossy pointy leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color. The smooth khaki (brownish-green) bark and brick red branches add an interesting dimension to the landscape. Landscape Attributes Forsythia, Spring Fling is a dense multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition. This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics. Forsythia, Spring Fling is recommended for the following landscape applications; Planting & Growing Forsythia, Spring Fling will grow to be about 6 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years. This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. To help this plant achive its best flowering performance, periodically apply a flower-boosting fertilizer from early spring through into the active growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. Forsythia, Spring Fling makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
