Forsythia

Forsythia

Description

A medium height well branched shrub with bright yellow flowers appearing before the leaves. The flowers are deeply four-lobed the petals joined only at the base. Due to its horticultural origins Forsythia has several cultivars and species hybrids which require very detailed examination if they are to be accurately determined. For this reason we have decided to group all Forsythia species together on NatureSpot under the genus name 'Forsythia'.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Often occurs as a garden escape and usually found close to habitation.

When to see it

Flowering in early spring.

Life History

Deciduous shrub.

UK Status

Widespread in Britain as an escape from cultivation.

VC55 Status

Infrequently recorded in Leicestershire and Rutland. It was not recorded in the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Additional images

All NatureSpot records

Photo of the association

Forsythia Knot-gall

Galls appear as clumps of nodule-like growths on shoots of affected Forsythia and are most noticeable when foliage is absent. Branch material beyond the galls usually becomes weak and eventually dies.