When to plant and prune Forsythia
Forsythia flowers from early March to mid April and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Forsythia is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early October to mid November | early March to mid April | mid April to early May |
| South Coast and Channel | early October to mid November | early March to mid April | mid April to early May |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early October to mid November | early March to mid April | mid April to early May |
| South East and Home Counties | early October to mid November | early March to mid April | mid April to early May |
| East Anglia | early October to mid November | early March to mid April | mid April to early May |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early October to mid November | early March to mid April | mid April to early May |
| Wales and West Coast | early October to mid November | early March to mid April | mid April to early May |
| Northern England | early October to mid November | early March to mid April | mid April to early May |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early October to mid November | early March to mid April | mid April to early May |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early October to mid November | early March to mid April | mid April to early May |
| Northern Ireland | early October to mid November | early March to mid April | mid April to early May |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early October to mid November | early March to mid April | mid April to early May |
Growing notes
Bare stems crowded with bright yellow flowers in early to mid-spring, before the leaves - very hardy and undemanding, and it makes a good informal or clipped hedge. Dull for the rest of the year, so use it at the back of a border or in a boundary planting. Dwarf cultivars such as 'Mini Gold' suit small gardens and pots.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 150 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 200 cm
- Eventual spread
- 200 cm
- Hardiness
- H5
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 30 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 2 out of 5
Pruning: what to avoid
Forsythia is the classic 'why doesn't it flower any more' shrub. It blooms on wood made the previous summer, so prune immediately after flowering in mid-spring - pruning later in the year, or shearing it in winter, reduces or removes the following spring's flowers. Renovation in the dormant season is possible but there will be no flowers the first spring after.
Pruning group
Prune in mid-spring immediately after flowering: cut flowered growth back to a vigorous shoot lower down and remove up to one-fifth of the oldest stems at the base
Bare-root season
Bare-root stock is lifted and sold while dormant, from early November to late February. Container-grown plants can go in at other times of year, but bare-root is cheaper and establishes well.
What usually goes wrong
- fasciation (flattened distorted shoots)
- poor flowering after badly timed pruning
- congested growth and bare bases if never thinned
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for forsythia.