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Forsythia
Forsythia
Also called golden bells
Forsythia blooms from March through April.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Forsythia
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 5–8. Expect it to reach about 6.5 ft tall and 6.5 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 3 years (not yet checked).
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Forsythia
Plant Forsythia in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 5 to 8, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from March to April.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Forsythia get?
6.5 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult6.5 ftwideSee Forsythia in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Forsythia
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Forsythia about 6.5 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Forsythia to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Forsythia's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 11 published sources on July 29, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finderheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionPlant Toolboxheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- The Morton Arboretumheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Clemson Home and Garden Information CenterClemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Centerheight, spread, sun and trait tags
- Oregon State UniversityDepartment of Horticulture, Landscape Plantsheight, spread, hardiness zones and sun
- RHSRoyal Horticultural Societyheight, spread, sun and trait tags
- University of Wisconsin HorticultureUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, Wisconsin Horti...height, spread, hardiness zones and sun
- woodyplants.cals.cornell.eduCornell University Woody Plants Databaseheight, spread, hardiness zones and sun
- University of Illinois ExtensionThe Garden Scoophardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- extension.umaine.eduUniversity of Maine Cooperative Extension, Signs of the Seasonsheight and spread
- Iowa State University Extensionand Outreach, Yard and Gardenheight and sun
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 6 varieties
Same genus, similar care - pick the variety you are growing.
Compare every variety in the Forsythia group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiesta | Yellow | Mar–Apr | Zones 5–8 | Full sun | 3.5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Forsythiathis page | Yellow | Mar–Apr | Zones 5–8 | Full sun | 6.5 ft × 6.5 ft |
| Gold Tide | Yellow | Mar–Apr | Zones 5–8 | Full sun | 3 ft × 5 ft |
| Lynwood Gold | Yellow | Mar–Apr | Zones 5–8 | Full sun | 10 ft × 8 ft |
| Magical Gold | Yellow | Mar–Apr | Zones 5–8 | Full sun | 3.5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Northern Gold | Yellow | Mar–Apr | Zones 3–7 | Full sun | 7 ft × 6 ft |
| Show Off | Yellow | Mar–Apr | Zones 5–8 | Full sun | 5.5 ft × 5 ft |
Good to know about Forsythia
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
Forsythia blooms on old wood, setting next spring's buds the previous summer. Prune right after the flowers fade; a late, dormant, or shearing cut is why it stops blooming. per NC State and Illinois
Flower buds are cold-tender
On standard cultivars the buds winter-kill around -5 F to -10 F while the shrub lives; hardy cultivars hold buds to -30 F to -35 F. Choose a hardy one. per Wisconsin and Illinois
Renewing an overgrown plant
Two ways to reset a leggy old shrub: cut every stem to 3 to 6 inches and lose a year's bloom, or thin a third yearly for three years. per Iowa State and Illinois
Safe around pets
The ASPCA lists golden bells as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses; a nibbling pet might get mild, passing stomach upset but no real poisoning. per ASPCA
Low value for bees
The bright flowers look inviting but the common hybrid is sterile, giving bees no nectar or pollen. Pair it with a true early nectar plant like viburnum. per University of Vermont
Spreads where stems touch soil
Long arching branches root wherever they touch the ground, so an untended plant creeps outward into a thicket. Handy for free plants, but give it room. per NC State and Wisconsin
Force branches for early color
The flower buds sit ready on the stems all winter, so branches cut in January or February and stood in water indoors open in about 10 days. per Clemson
What pairs well with Forsythia
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Snow-in-Summer
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Candytuft
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into late spring; low at 10 in, to carpet the ground beneath; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Sea Thrift
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into early summer; low at 8 in, to carpet the ground beneath; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Fan Flower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; low at 8 in, to carpet the ground beneath; purple against yellow, for contrast.
Verbena
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; low at 10 in, to carpet the ground beneath; purple against yellow, for contrast.
Bacopa
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath; its white flowers settle the yellow.
Thyme
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath; purple against yellow, for contrast.
Autumn Crocus
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early fall, extending the bed's season; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath; purple against yellow, for contrast.
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.