Caring for Lynwood Gold Forsythia Bushes During Winter Months

by

The Lynwood Gold Forsythia is a popular flowering shrub known for its vibrant yellow blooms signaling spring’s arrival. However, this hardy deciduous plant also has appealing features in winter when its graceful bare branches and purple-tinted bark add beauty and structure to the landscape. With proper winter care, Lynwood Gold Forsythias will continue thriving season after season.

Appearance and Care in Winter

When winter begins, the Lynwood Gold Forsythia enters dormancy:

  • Leaves turn yellow or red before dropping, leaving branches bare

  • Bark takes on a deep reddish-purple hue in cold weather

  • Prominent arching branches become a prominent feature without foliage.

  • Flower buds formed during fall remain dormant until spring.

  • Growth habit is vase-shaped and upright, reaching 6-10 feet tall and wide at maturity.

While leafless, the exfoliating bark and intricate branching provide winter garden texture and visual interest.

Pruning

Prune Lynwood Gold Forsythias in early winter when fully dormant:

  • Wait until late fall or early winter after leaf drop.

  • Remove dead, damaged, and crossed branches at the base using sharp pruners.

  • Selectively thin interior growth to open up air flow and light penetration.

  • Cut up to one-third of oldest branches to rejuvenate growth.

Watering

Water requirements are minimal in winter. But provide water during warm dry spells or if soil is dry 2-3 inches down.

Fertilizing

Fertilize in early spring just before blooming using a balanced, slow-release formula.

Protection

Protect branches from heavy snow or ice accumulation which can cause breakage.

Spring Care After Winter Dormancy

As temperatures warm in spring, your Lynwood Gold Forsythia will reawaken:

  • Flower buds swell and bright yellow blooms open in April/May, lasting 2-3 weeks.

  • New green foliage emerges soon after flowers fade.

  • Growth flush occurs through summer into fall. Monitor water and fertilizer needs.

  • Blooms best in full sun. Prune after flowering.

With attention to its seasonal care needs, Lynwood Gold Forsythia will develop vigorously and flower prolifically year after year. Its cheerful blooms and graceful form make it a treasured flowering shrub.

lynwood gold forsythia shrub in winter

Blog Network: Martha’s Circle

My garden maze now includes a long row of Lynwood Gold Forsythia.

The three-acre maze began for me in the spring of 2022, and I’ve now finished more than two-thirds of it. I’ve put in American sweetgums, barberry, London planetrees, privets, camperdown elms, yews, boxwood, parrotias, espaliered apple trees, European beech, European hornbeams, forsythia, and a bunch of different kinds of evergreen shrubs. The Lynwood Gold Forsythia is fast growing and maintains an upright growth habit with graceful arching branches. This flowering shrub has beautiful bell-shaped yellow flowers in the spring. In the summer, the leaves are a mix of green and purple, which turns dark purple in the fall and winter when the weather gets cold again.

Lynwood Gold Forsythia: A Great Early Season Shrub

FAQ

Does forsythia lose its leaves in winter?

Since forsythia is a deciduous shrub, it loses its leaves and goes dormant in winter. However, that doesn’t mean that it can’t suffer from winter cold. Forsythia shrubs are hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 8. The shrubs can survive cold temperatures down to -20 degrees F.

What does forsythia look like in winter?

Forsythia drops its leaves in the fall, and flowers will not appear until the spring. During the winter, Forsythia does not grow; the plant is a collection of bare branches, so it does not make for an appealing indoor plant.

Do you cut back forsythia for winter?

Forsythia, like lilacs and viburnums, form flower buds in late summer, so heavy pruning during winter will remove most, if not all, of the spring flowers. The shrubs will then flower the following year, provided that you avoid pruning them after their buds form in late summer and early fall in 2017.

How to protect forsythia in winter?

These shrubs need little winter care but, should be occasionally checked for rabbit or other damage. If rabbit damage is found you can protect the plant with a fence formed with hardware cloth (looks like chicken wire but with small square holes).

Related posts:

  1. How to Sharpen Felco Pruners for a Clean, Precise Cut
  2. How Tall Do Areca Palms Get? A Complete Growth Guide
  3. Spanish Broom Plants for Sale – A Buyer’s Guide
  4. A Beginner’s Guide to Pruning Vegetable Plants for Maximum Yield

Leave a Comment