Plant Encyclopedia

Other Names:  Border Forsythia, Goldenbells

Description:

A beautiful compact border shrub with multiple ornamental attributes; rich golden bell-shaped flowers in spring, emerald green foliage with showy yellow variegation, and a wide-spreading form; an ideal fit for blazing color in the early spring garden

Ornamental Features

Fiesta Forsythia is covered in stunning gold bell-shaped flowers along the branches in early spring before the leaves. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has attractive yellow-variegated emerald green foliage. The glossy pointy leaves are highly ornamental but do not develop any appreciable fall color. The brick red stems can be quite attractive.

Landscape Attributes

Fiesta Forsythia is a dense multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a mounded 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.

Fiesta Forsythia is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Fiesta Forsythia will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under typical garden conditions. 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.

Fiesta Forsythia 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.