Lynwood Gold Forsythia

Forsythia x intermedia 'Lynwood'

flower

Lynwood Gold (also sold as Lynwood Variety) is the standard golden-bells forsythia, one of the first and most cheerful signs of spring. It is a vigorous, upright, somewhat arching deciduous shrub growing six to nine feet tall and as wide, and in late winter to early spring, well before its leaves appear and ahead of almost everything else, its bare branches light up from top to bottom with brilliant four-lobed yellow flowers. A branch sport selected for flowers that line the stems more evenly than older types, it is tough, fast, and adaptable, long planted as a specimen, an informal hedge, or a bank cover. Cut branches taken in late winter force easily into early bloom indoors.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Dutch Master Daffodil — The classic spring duet - golden daffodils bloom at the forsythia feet at the very same early moment
• Grape Hyacinth — A low blue carpet that sets off the wall of yellow in early spring
• Lilac — Takes over the show a few weeks later in the same shrub border once the forsythia has leafed out

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Aphids →

  Cluster on tender new shoots - rinse off with water and encourage ladybugs; rarely a real problem on this tough shrub

• Spider mites →

  Cause fine stippling in hot dry weather - rinse the foliage and keep the plant from drought stress

• Crown gall →

  A bacterial disease causing rough galls at the base - buy clean plants, avoid wounding the crown, and remove and destroy badly affected plants

• Leaf spot →

  Minor fungal spotting in wet summers - give airflow, water at the base, and clear fallen leaves

🌸 Blooms & cutting

Forsythia is famous for forcing - in late winter, cut budded branches, bring them indoors, and stand them in water in a cool room, and they burst into golden bloom in a week or two, weeks ahead of the garden. Outdoors, the only real task is pruning right after the spring flowers fade (it blooms on old wood, so later cuts remove next year flowers); thin the oldest canes at ground level to keep it open and graceful rather than letting it become a tangled mound.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

An ornamental shrub grown for its early-spring color. The very early flowers offer a little nectar and pollen to bees venturing out on warm late-winter days, and the dense twiggy growth gives birds nesting and shelter cover, but it is grown above all as the cheerful first splash of spring. Non-toxic and safe around pets and children.