In article , Pam wrote:

paghat wrote:


I saw a snowy-white blossoming forsythia & it struck me as quite pleasing
& since it's the only one I've ever seen so far, can't regard it as overly
common. I wouldn't want it, on some level it would be too much like my
wild Philadelphius mock orange (another exciting weed).

The white forsythia is not a true forsythia - it is Abeliophyllum
disticum, aka
white forsythia. Slightly tender, it is a much more attractive and
well-mannered plant than forsythia. In our climate, it often blooms before
forsythia, only hits about 5' max, has fragrant flowers and wonderful dark
purple stems that contrast nicely against the white flowers. A far superior
plant for these reasons, but like the true forsythia, doesn't have much to say
for itself when out of flower.

pam - gardengal

Thanks! When I was told "that's white forsythia" I assumed a novel cultivar.

But I disagree yellow forsythias aren't much out of flower. I've seen this
comment often, but it strikes me as true mainly of cut-back specimens
which are stubby & ruinous looking.

I love the sweeping naked branches in winter when the bark turns rather
yellow; the brilliant yellow & red leaves of autumn with occasional
sprinkles of last-minute rebloom; the deep green sweeps of summer
foliage... There's not a season I don't like a big wild-looking one, even
if it outdoes itself most extremely when thick with yellow flowers. I've
noticed not all of them gain the brilliant autumn coloration & that would
be disappointing, but the one I inherited luckily has amazing autumn
color.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/