Forsythia x intermedia, known simply as Border Forsythia or Golden Bells, is a perennial shrub in the olive family (Oleaceae) along with other notable ornamental genera such as Osmanthus (Tea-olive), Ligustrum (Privet), Syringa (Lilac), Jasminum (Jasmine)and Chionanthus (Fringe Trees). The yellow bell like flowers are an early harbinger of Spring, although they arrive a few weeks after Jasminium nudiflorum (see our Plant of the Week from January 27). The Border Forsythia is an interspecific hybrid and is a very common shrub in older landscapes, although there are a number of newer cultivars available in the horticultural market. We do not have active research on Forsythia here at the Durham Farm, but our neighbors have some growing in their back yard. The shrubs can become quite large and take pruning quite well to form hedges.
