(paghat) expounded:

Here though is a buttercup winter hazel:
http://www.paghat.com/winterhazel.html
which is sometimes recommended as a less common & subtler choice instead
of forsythia. It's never showy but it can be awfully pleasant in its
lowkey manner.

I have one of these, Corylopsis pauciflora, but it's got longer flower
clusters than the ones in your picture, it's actually very showy. I
thought I had a picture of it, I'll take another one this spring when
it blooms. I was surprised at how pretty it was the first time it
bloomed for me. Another great find at the New England Wildflower
Society plant sale!

--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
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