Shrub 2.5 - 3 m tall, 3 - 3.5 m wide

Leaves: opposite, stalked, medium to dark green above, paler beneath, 7.5 - 12.5 cm long, half as wide, oblong egg-shaped to oblong lance-shaped with a rounded to tapering base and pointed tip, toothed (except lower fourth). Leaves turn green or yellowish green in autumn, sometimes with a purple tinge.

Flowers: in clusters of two to six, bright yellow, and 3 - 3.5 cm long. Corolla four-lobed.

Fruit: a two-celled capsule that splits open to release winged seeds, brown, and 8.5 mm long.

Twigs: somewhat four-sided, yellowish brown, and covered with raised lenticels. Pith solid at the nodes and chambered in the internodes; however, pith character can alter with age.

Buds: several, borne together in the axils, light yellowish brown, tinged green, about 6 mm long, and conical. Bud scales overlapping, sometimes rather loosely.

Form: upright and spreading.

Similar species: Forsythia x intermedia is similar to its parents and shares characteristics of each. However, the pith of this hybrid is chambered at the internodes and solid at the nodes, whereas the pith of parent F. suspensa is hollow throughout or merely solid at the nodes. The pith of parent F. viridissima is chambered throughout.

Flowering: late April to early May, before the flowers

Habitat and ecology: Introduced from cultivation. It rarely escapes, but will persist around old homesites, turning wild when the site is abandoned or removed. It is known to persist in a sandy blowout along the south side of the main parking area at Indiana Dunes State Park. It was also discovered in DuPage County, Illinois, spreading along a slope near the DuPage River, not far from an old homesite.

Occurence in the Chicago region: non-native

Notes: Forsythia x intermedia, a hybrid between F. suspensa, a native of Japan, and F. viridissima, a native of Korea, is commonly cultivated for its beautiful spring flowers. All three taxa are routinely cultivated.

Etymology: Forsythia honors William Forsyth (1737-1804), Scottish superintendent of the Royal Gardens of Kensington Palace and author of A Treatise on the Culture and Management of Fruit Trees. Intermedia means intermediate in color, form, or habit.

Author: The Morton Arboretum