We all know the yellow flowering forsythia. But do you also know the snow forsythia? It is also a real eye-catcher in the garden and easy to care for.
The snow forsythia (Abeliophyllum distichum) is one of the olive trees and is the only representative of the genus Abeliophyllum there. The original homeland of the snow forsythia is on the Korean peninsula, where the stocks are generally considered to be in decline and some are endangered are valid. In contrast to the yellow forsythia that is common in our latitudes, the snow forsythia has white flowers. The plants are quite easy to care for and with their eye-catching flowers they can provide a nice contrast in the spring garden.
Plant Description
The evergreen shrub reaches a height of about one meter. The leaves are arranged opposite. The leaves have fine hairs on both sides. The flowers appear before the leaves and spread a delicate scent reminiscent of almonds. The snow forsythia was first described by Takenoshin Nakai in 1919. The natural range is limited to a few locations in southern Korea. The plant prefers to grow on rocky terrain and moist soil.
When does snow forsythia bloom?
The snow forsythia features early flowering. The flowers often appear as early as January, long before the leaves. This flowering can last until April. A special feature of the snow forsythia flower is a color change that can be observed occasionally. The originally white flowers suddenly appear pink. Possible reasons for this are the soil conditions, the age of the plant and primarily the weather conditions.
Some species of forsythia briefly mentioned
❍ Forsythia Gold Rush:
These shrubs can reach a height of up to three meters and can also spread to the same extent. The large, yellow flowers appear in early March.
❍ Forsythia Minigold:
This dwarf forsythia grows in similar proportions to the snow forsythia and is therefore well suited for possible group plantings or colorful hedges. The Forsythia Minigold willmaximum 1.5 meters high and bears golden-yellow flowers. The yellow autumn colors are a special attraction.
❍ Forsythia Weekend:
This broadly branched shrub grows about two meters high and is characterized by its dense growth. The yellow flowers appear between March and May. The plant is easy to care for and hardy.
Find the right location
The snow forsythia generally requires little care, but makes certain demands on its environment. For example, you should choose a location that is as sunny as possible. However, the plant knows how to adapt and will also be able to thrive in the shade. A sheltered location is an advantage.
Due to the early flowering, the snow forsythia can become an eye-catcher in a wintery and rather dreary garden. There are different ways of planting. Due to the relatively low growth height of about one meter, the snow forsythia can also impress in small gardens. This can be done alone, as well as in the bed. In combination with crocuses, daffodils and other early bloomers, the result is an atmospheric play of colours. Snow forsythia can also be planted as a hedge.
The ideal location in keywords:
- light
- sunny to shady
- wind protected
Selecting the ideal substrate
Snow forsythia prefer well-drained and nutrient-rich soil. You can make the substrate more permeable by working in coarse sand or gravel. This prevents waterlogging, which the plant cannot tolerate. Poor soil can be upgraded before planting by adding compost or horn shavings. The snow forsythia does not like dry and particularly calcareous soils.
The ideal substrate in keywords:
- loose
- permeable
- nutrient rich
- limescale
- humos
Planting snow forsythia - step by step instructions
The snow forsythia should be planted in spring. You should choose a dry and frost-free day for this. So that the plant can be used well in the ground, there should be no more ground frost. Proceed as follows when planting:
- Select location.
- Prepare the ground.
- Dig a planting hole twice the size of the root ball.
- Work in drainage to prevent waterlogging.
- Water the root ball.
- Place plant.
- Close the planting hole.
- Water the plant well.
Once you have found the right location for the snow forsythia, you should also pay attention to the planting distance, because on its own the snow forsythia needs a lot of space, as it grows quite quickly and can also assume a sprawling growth habit. The planting distance should be at least one meter. If a hedge of snow forsythia is to be created, a dense growth is of course desired. You can then place two plants one meter apart.
Tip:
Snow forsythia comes into its own with snowdrops, tulips, crocuses or horned violets.
Can the snow forsythia be cultivated in a tub?
Snow forsythia also do very well in the bucket. This ensures a splash of color on the balcony or terrace early in the year. In the tub, however, the plant is a bit more demanding, needs regular watering, should be supplied with a slow-release fertilizer and needs protection in winter.
Transplant snow forsythia - does that work?
The snow forsythia outdoors can still be replanted relatively safely after three to four years. It can be more difficult with older plants and you might want to reconsider. Planting is generally done on frost-free days in spring. The foliage should not have started yet. When transplanting, you should leave as much of the soil on the root ball as possible, because the plant will grow better in the new location. A slight pruning is then recommended. If the shrub is already in flower, you can wait until after it has flowered.
How to properly care for snow forsythia
Casting:
Once the snow forsythia has rooted well and got used to its location, the plant can usually cope with the available rainwater and only needs watering from time to time if the drought lasts for a long time. The plants permanently tolerate a slightly moist soil. You should not water the plant too intensively, as it does not tolerate waterlogging.
Potted plants, on the other hand, need to be watered regularly. Due to the limited space available here, the water balance cannot be regulated solely via rainwater.
Fertilize:
The snow forsythia does not need regular fertilization. However, you should adapt the soil to the needs of the plant when planting. By adding compost or horn shavings, for example, the quality of poor soil can be improved. Additional fertilizers are not necessary. AloneYou should provide potted plants with liquid fertilizer for flowering plants during the growth phase. You can administer this every two weeks.
Since the plants are sensitive to waterlogging, you must also think about drainage when planting. By adding gravel or coarse sand, for example, you can make the soil more permeable. If you mulch the soil in spring, you can improve the regulation of the water balance.
Pruning:
The snow forsythia grows less intensively than the conventional forsythia. However, you should not neglect pruning measures with the snow forsythia. A thinning and maintenance cut preserves the attractive shape of the ornamental shrub.
While the fast-growing domestic forsythia is pruned annually, snow forsythia is sufficient if you use scissors every two to three years. The best time to cut back is immediately after flowering. This allows the shrub to concentrate on forming new buds. These were already created in the previous year on the one-year-old wood. You can cut the branches back about a third. The cut is always done down to a well-developed bud.
In the event of disease or balding, it may be necessary to cut back radically. Only a few strong shoots are left on the plant. You should shorten all other branches close to the ground.
Tip: If snow forsythia branches are cut on St. Barbara's Day, they will be in full bloom on Christmas Day.
Hiberation:
The snow forsythia is a very hardy plant. Outdoors, no protective measures are necessary, even when the temperature is in the double-digit range. In unfavorable locations, however, late frosts could become a problem. It can be helpful here if you cover the soil with leaves or brushwood.
Potted plants, on the other hand, need winter protection. If you want to leave the planters outdoors, you should wrap them in garden fleece and place them on a wooden or polystyrene base. In particularly harsh locations, it is advantageous for snow forsythia in tubs to move to bright and frost-free winter quarters.
Detect and control pests and diseases
The snow forsythia is robust and adaptable. This makes the plant one of the few specimens in the home garden that are not afflicted by the usual pests and diseases. With appropriate care, you will enjoy your snow forsythia for a long time.
The plant only has one enemy inform of waterlogging. If the plants are too wet for a long period of time, this can attack the roots. However, the robust plant can compensate for a short-term deficit in the water balance without being damaged.
How to propagate snow forsythia
The snow forsythia is still a very rare guest in our gardens. Completely incomprehensible given the adaptability and beauty of the plant. So why not propagate existing plants and simply share gardeners' happiness and give it away? In principle, you can propagate the snow forsythia by cuttings and cuttings.
❍ Propagation by planters:
A new plant can be won quite reliably by sinkers. This is best done in autumn, because then you can separate the young plant from the mother plant next spring and transplant it separately. For this propagation method, proceed as follows:
With this method you have to choose a particularly strong shoot. This should be able to be pulled down to the ground. Clean the soil, loosen it and provide it with a gutter. This channel now serves to accommodate the shoot. Before you cover the shoot with soil, you should score a few spots with a sharp knife. This speeds up root formation. Then cover the shoot completely with soil, except for the tip, and weigh it down with stones or something similar so that it does not spring out of the ground again. Now tie the shoot tip vertically so that the young plant develops a suitable growth habit.
❍ Propagation by cuttings:
Propagation by cuttings is a common method, which also promises good results with snow forsythia. The cuttings are cut after the flowering period, i.e. in spring. The cutting should be 10 to 15 centimeters long and well developed, with some leaves and already appearing slightly woody at the bottom. If the cutting meets these requirements, it will root more quickly. If there are buds or flowers, you must remove them. You should also remove the leaves from the lower part of the cutting.
The cuttings should then be propagated in a planter. Alternatively, you can place the cuttings directly outdoors. However, they then need the warmest and most constant weather possible, which is rarely the case in our latitudes. The propagation of cuttings in the plant pot is therefore safer, because you can set it up in a warm place. OnePlastic or glass covers can also speed up rooting. However, you should remove these covers regularly in order to ventilate and thus prevent mold growth in the planter. The cuttings can remain in the planter until next spring. Then enough roots should have formed. On the first frost-free days, the young plant can then move directly outdoors.