Forsythia intermedia Goldzauber

The Forsythia x intermedia 'Goldzauber' is one of the varieties of Mimosa de Paris that produces the largest flowers. Fast-growing, this German selection remains relatively compact, forming a bushy shrub as wide as it is tall. It is in early spring that the magic happens when it is covered in its floral adornment of an exceptionally bright golden yellow that lights up the garden. Extremely hardy, adapting to most soils and well-suited to urban environments, it is a perfect plant for hedges or borders and can even be grown in containers.

The Forsythia is a deciduous shrub of the Oleaceae family, which includes 25 genera, many of which are used ornamentally, such as Jasmines (Jasminum) with their enchanting fragrances, as well as Lilacs (Syringa), and even the Olive tree, a noble plant par excellence. The Forsythia genus includes about ten species, the most widespread of which, through numerous cultivars, is Forsythia x intermedia. As indicated by the x, it is a hybrid between two botanical species, F. suspensa, with long flexible branches and native to eastern China, and F. viridissima, which, on the contrary, has an upright habit and comes from China and Korea. The first hybrid of the group was found in 1878 at the Göttingen Botanical Garden in Germany. 'Goldzauber', as its name suggests ("golden magic" or "golden enchantment"), is a German cultivar resulting from the cross-breeding of the 'Beatrix Farrand' and 'Lynwood' varieties, both reliable choices. It remains one of the most popular varieties introduced to the market as early as 1974. Fast-growing (30 to 60 cm per year), this Forsythia will reach its adult size of approximately 2 m in height or even a little more and 2 m in width in three to four years. It has an upright and wide habit, is very dense, and is well-suited for creating magnificent hedges.

The young shoots are linear in the first year and branch out the following year. The brown branches, adorned with small whitish lenticels, are thin but flexible and,therefore, resistant to wind. The flowers appear early in spring, from March to April, before the leaves, making the shrub easily identifiable by all. 'Goldzauber' has huge flowers, measuring up to 4 cm in diameter, making the flowering even more dazzling than in other varieties. They are a bright golden yellow, covering the entire shrub in an explosion of colour. Generally solitary, they are attached to the branches by a short floral peduncle a few millimetres long. The old wood is less floriferous, so pruning is necessary for this shrub to maintain its youthful character. The flowering lasts about three weeks and marks the arrival of spring, bringing joy to the garden. Another advantage of this variety is that its flowers are less sensitive to spring frosts than other cultivars. The leaves appear a little before the end of the flowering period, tender green when they emerge, and darken slightly afterwards. Elliptical in shape, with a pointed tip, they are of medium size (5 to 10 cm), relatively narrow and toothed along their edges. They are said to be opposite-decussate, as they are placed face to face on the branch, with each pair of leaves being offset by 90° from the previous pair. The foliage can take on attractive autumnal colours. Depending on the climate and soil

The Forsythia 'Goldzauber' is the epitome of an easy-to-grow plant. It is unmatched in bringing joy to a border and can also be used to create magnificent hedges. However, do not succumb to the habit of a monospecific hedge, as by combining different species, you will achieve a much more intense decorative effect, especially by spreading out the flowering periods. A free-form hedge, refined with secateurs, will be much more aesthetic than a wall of vegetation trimmed with a hedge trimmer. For example, the Berberis darwinii, with its dark green evergreen foliage, will take over from your Forsythia with its beautiful orange flowering in April-May. On the other hand, the Deutzia crenata 'Pride of Rochester ' will provide you with superb double white flowering from May to June. And for the summer, the Hibiscus syriacus 'Azurii' is a must-have with its large single blue flowers and red centre reminiscent of tropical Hibiscus.
In winter, consider forcing: cutting a few branches of your Forsythia and placing them in a vase inside the house; they will bloom ahead of time!