Forsythia suspensa Aurea - Weeping Forsythia

The Forsythia suspensa 'Aurea' is a very rare form of a weeping Paris Mimosa, a shrub much less known than its hybrids the Forsythia x intermedia. It is characterised by long, flexible and arched branches, a light yellow spring foliage, and a finer and lighter flowering than that of the classic varieties, appearing on bare branches in early spring. In the garden, it is used in the same way as a winter jasmine.

The Forsythia suspensa 'Aurea' is a natural mutation of the weeping forsythia. This species is native to China, present in the provinces of Anhui, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, and Sichuan. In nature, it is found in thickets or grassy areas, on slopes, as well as in rocky ravines, between 300 and 2200 metres above sea level. The Forsythia suspensa has been cultivated for a long time in China and Japan, both for its ornamental qualities and its uses in traditional medicine. This species was the first to be introduced to the West, around 1784. It is a deciduous shrub of the olive family. Hybridised with the species Forsythia viridissima by Thomas Meehan in Philadelphia in the 1860s, it gave rise to the Forsythia x intermedia, commonly planted in our gardens.

The Forsythia suspensa 'Aurea' will reach an average of 1.80 metres in all directions if left unchecked. Its long, flexible and arched branches, if trained against a wall, can however reach over 3 metres in height. This shrub naturally forms a "fountain". Its branches are yellow to grey-brown in colour, glabrous, and hollow. Flowering takes place between March and April, before the appearance of the foliage. The flowers are solitary or grouped in clusters of 2 to 6. They are finer than those of classic forsythias and less dense on the branches. Their colour is also a lighter yellow. After pollination by insects, small oval-shaped fruits measuring 1.2 to 2.25 cm in length form. The leaves are entire or trifoliate. They measure 5 to 10 cm in length and 2 to 5 cm in width, with a dentate margin. In the 'Aurea' form, the leaves are yellow when they first appear in spring, then they turn slightly green in summer. They turn orange-yellow in autumn before falling.

The Forsythia suspensa 'Aurea' is hardy and grows in any type of soil that is not too dry, even very chalky, but well-drained. This weeping variety will have a great effect on a slope or above a low wall where it will cascade down. It can also be trained to climb a wall next to a flowering quince 'Rubra', by training its branches. To accompany it, consider the tree clover (Lespedeza thunbergii), the Buddleja lindleyana, and the winter jasmine. In early December, cut a branch or two and put them in a vase, they will bloom for Christmas.