Common White Forsythia

Light Needs

Full Sun

(At Least 6 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

5-6 Feet

Mature Spread

5-6 Feet

Growing Zones

5 to 9

The Common White Forsythia puts on a lovely floral display each spring. Purple buds emerge on upright, arching branches and open to reveal star-shaped white flowers. Also known as Abeliophyllum distichum, this forsythia is covered in sweet-smelling flowers for a couple of weeks during the spring. The flowers stand out because the foliage does not fill in until after the blooms fade.

The bluish-green foliage gives this shrub a full and dense appearance throughout the summer and fall. The Common White Forsythia is very showy during the spring, but it takes more of a supporting role in the landscape during the summer and fall. Feature this shrub in a hedge or along a fence to create a dense screen. This is a deciduous shrub that grows in zones 5 through 9. The Common White Forsythia is deer resistant, making it a good choice in areas where foraging animals are a problem.

Common White Forsythia Care

This is a low-maintenance shrub that thrives in full sun. Plant it in moist, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. While young plants need regular water, established shrubs only need water during a dry spell. Fertilize this shrub annually in early spring using a balanced plant food.

Prune the Common White Forsythia as needed immediately after the flowers fade. This shrub blooms on new growth, so pruning before the flowers emerge will reduce the total number of blooms.

Common White Forsythia Spacing

The Common White Forsythia will stand 5 to 6 feet tall and equally wide when mature. Space shrubs 5 feet apart to create a border or hedge.