Yellow Blooming Spring Shrubs, the difference between Winter Jasmine and Forsythia

Very appropriate setting for Forsythia hedge, open spaced area

One of the most common garden plant identification errors is confusing the Winter Jasmine for Forsythia. Spring after Spring people excitedly claim how beautiful the Forsythia is, when in reality, it's Winter Jasmine. Differences between Winter Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) and Forsythia vary between bloom time, height, and flower shape. It's an easy mistake to make, especially when we're all so thrilled to see anything blooming! Forsythia and Winter Jasmine can both bloom when it's snowing and most varieties have yellow flowers. They are both grouped in the olive family genus, Oleaceae and most varieties originated in Asia.

Looks like a yellow magic marker hit this shrub border!

Forsythia is the more familiar plant and every old roadside farmhouse had a Forsythia shrub or two. This is probably why any yellow Spring blooming shrub is referred to as Forsythia. It's very common in Virginia and many consider it a pest because it's a non-native, fairly aggressive rooting shrub. It's probably the most dastardly hacked shrub known to man! How many bad Forsythia hair jobs have we all seen! DON'T SHAPE UP THE FORSYTHIA. A random shortening of extra long branches is often warranted, but DON'T SHAPE THE FORSYTHIA!

Clump of Forsythia near my garden gate.

For these reasons I've never thought about planting Forsythia but it's interesting that I ended up buying a home with a view of Forsythia from every single window and door in the house! I've grown to appreciate the ability of big clumps to provide shelter for birds, deer, and foxes and of course the Spring cheer that it brings. I wanted to name my property and business after a plant and Forsythia Hill was a perfect fit.

Small and cheery, Winter Jasmine bloom.

Winter Jasmine is a more difficult shrub to acquire as it's not as common. It took me 10 years to track down a free start of this shrub. I've not looked very hard, but one came to me at a plant swap last Spring. I was thrilled to finally have this shrub. It too is fairly aggressive but if planted in the right spot allowed to do its thing, it can make quite a splash. It also is a non-native and should be planted with care. I would like to think my gardening acquisitions would be limited to only natives but I've not been able to control myself. Even natives can be aggressive so care should be given for any planting decision. There is a good FB page that identifies invasive plants which is very informative and there are some horribly destructive plants that we each should never plant.

Forsythia shrub bud when in full bloom. 

There are several ways to determine the difference between these similar Spring blooming plants. The first is bloom time. It's very slight and can overlap but the Winter Jasmine will begin blooming before any other Spring plant. Possibly crocus will peep up at the same moment, but it will show color while everything is gray and asleep. Winter Jasmine is also typically a shorter (2' - 3' tall) arching shrub. Forsythia is straighter and taller. Stems eventually arc over and root but the standard Forsythia is much taller (5 - 6'). There are shorter dwarf Forsythia shrubs which cause extra identification difficulty. Forsythia also has been bred in a white form but is quite uncommon.

Forsythia bud, just before it begins to open

The blooms on the plants are also quite different if you look closeup. In general the Forsythia has a longer tighter pointed petal bloom and the Winter Jasmine has a flat faced rounded petal tip bloom. Of course things become more complicated depending upon where you live and the variety. But I hope these few general differences will help you better identify these common Spring blooming plants.

For local identification in Charlottesville Virginia, there are appropriate uses of Winter Jasmine on Earlysville Rd. near Ivy Creek Nature Center and downtown on McIntire Rd. under the overpass. It's mid-March and the Winter Jasmine is fading and the Forsythia is showing a nice bit of color.

Happy SPRING!

~Rebecca 

Spring has sprung, Garden flowers are coming up quickly and Charlottesville Gardening events abound.

Spring fever has hit as the sleet rains down but the Robin's have arrived so no one thinks this burst of bad weather is going to last. Just a few clumps of Daffodils have begun to bud so hoping there won't be grave losses of flowers as the bad weather rolls in over the next week. Lots of changes are happening in Charlottesville on Forsythia Hill.

Spring is my favorite time to garden because its not humid and the plants are just emerging. It is super easy to divide and relocate plants while foliage is short and buds have not appeared. I've even divided Daffodils during this time but you may sacrifice some of their show until next year. Check out my garden as it grows on youtube.

Line to enter native plant sale at Ivy Creek Nature Center

On the hunt for unique plants this Spring? You should not miss several upcoming annual Charlottesville events. Insects are searching for their favorite plants so add some beneficials to your garden. The Native Plant Sale always has a little this and that for me to snag. Truth be told, they have tons of plants and I've purchased so many over the years that my selection choices have nearly been exhausted. A few of my favorite past purchases were Asters and Viburnum shrubs. Check it out on Saturday, April 27 from 1-3.  Another popular sale with tons of great plants is the Master Gardeners Plant Sale. It has relocated to the Shops at Stonefield outdoor lawn on Saturday, May 4, 2019. I also follow an active local gardening Facebook site that often hosts a Spring swap, https://www.facebook.com/groups/cvilleplantswap.

The chickens have begun laying again! Many chickens go on strike during the short days of winter and Spring brings on lots of coop laying action. A friend gave me 3 of her hens so we're experiencing a recent influx of eggs at the moment. We are now getting 3 - 4 eggs a day from our 6 girls.

I love Cville

To tide you over until the garden gets going, check out the Tom Tom Festival in Charlottesville the week of April 8, 2019. The Tom Tom Foundation is a nonprofit that celebrates entrepreneurs, civic leaders, and creators who shape cities and communities across the nation. The summit convene experts, practitioners, and innovators for a week of keynotes, workshops, round tables and mixers. Over 200 speakers will present this year. The theme this year is Building Better Hometowns.

~Rebecca