I'm in Alexandria, VA, USDA Zone 7. This morning I noticed that two of my mature forsythias are blooming. They've never done this before; is it normal? Will the flowers die back and the bushes bloom again in the spring? They in a side border of my southern-facing front yard, and now that the leaves have dropped from the trees that border the street, on sunny days they get nearly full sun pretty much all day. Thanks in advance for any feedback!
Forsythia often blooms in December in your/my climate. Not to worry (not that you could do anything anyhow). Next spring's bloom may not be quite as prolific, but the forsythia is used to the climate -- they know to hold back something.
I've had my own mature forsythia's to burst into bloom whenever the weather warmed up once winter had deffinately set in. I don't think the silly things know a warm spell.......they just bloom when it's been cold and when the warmth mimics springtime. Considering the buds have already been set on your bushes (and the one I have remaining, since I have almost completely removed the one after whacking away at it for months now,piece by piece) it's just the amount of warm sunlight they're getting to trigger bloom. You could cut some branches right now and bring them inside and have blossoms if you wanted them. And that they're on a southern facing yard, is another reason they bloomed for you. Eastern or northeastern and they might not have bloomed. South and west, most deffinately. I have seen these things in full bloom in January on southwestern sides of homes after a warm spell.
Hopefully since your bushes are mature you have lots of branches loaded with buds for true springtime. (if you do, it's always neat to cut a few for the house to cheer you up with brief color ) madgardener up on the cold and gloomy ridge, back in Fairy Holler, overlooking misty and foggy cloaked English Mountain in Eastern Tennessee, zone 7, Sunset zone 36
I see forsythia blooming in December, January, and February here in east TN (zone 7). Any given plant will bloom at various times, year to year, depending on the kind of winter we are having, and how the plant is protected. One forsythia, next to a building, bloomed in December, but another that's not protected in February. If you see just a few blooms, it will probably bloom in full next month or two. You can cut winter stems, put them in a vase or water, and they will bloom indoors! Beautiful winter-blooming plant.
".............I'm in Alexandria, VA, USDA Zone 7. This morning I noticed that two of my mature forsythias are blooming. They've never done this before; is it normal? ....................!
That's late, mine flowered months ago.
But seriously, here in the UK the earliest I have seem forsythia flower is late January whilst the bulk come out around April. this autumn/winter everything seems to do as it wants not as it is supposed to do.
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