Forsythia

Introduction

The canary yellow of its flowers is incomparable: forsythia is a rather "intrusive" shrub plant, in some ways, but even before the dawn of spring its colored corollas paint and embellish the still sparse vegetation.

Forsythia is grown above all for ornamental purposes, precisely because of its golden and iridescent floral foliage: in any case, forsythia is also used in the phytotherapeutic sphere, especially in the East.
The strange name of the plant originates from Mr. W. Forsyth, founder of the Royal Society of Horticulture in London, one of the most renowned botanical associations in the world of the eighteenth century.

Botanical description

Due to its luxuriance, forsythia is considered one of the most generous shrub plants of all: it is no coincidence that the plant gives nature many, splendid, yellow flowers, as well as releasing an intense fragrance into the environment.
In botany, forsythia is an exponent of the family of Oleaceae: the genre Forsythia includes seven shrub species, including F. vividly, probably the progenitor. Not to be forgotten as well F. ovata And F. suspensa.
Forsythia are native plants of south-eastern European lands, China and Japan, where they are grown mainly as an ornament.
Rustic forsythia plants do not generally exceed 3 meters in height: the leaves, rounded or oblong, are deciduous, and are distributed on slender, linear, ocher or brownish branches. As mentioned, forsythia is distinguished by the period corresponding to flowering: even before the arrival of spring, the plant gives the bare vegetation beautiful four-lobed yellow flowers, which bloom in groups of three at the axil of the leaves, forming very dense and thick foliage.
According to the thought of some authors, forsythia is a freak of nature, given that the bright yellow color of its flowers appears so charged that it is even considered excessively aggressive, in a vegetative context that is still dormant.

Features

The cultivation of forsythia is very simple: in general, the plant requires abundant watering during the summer and an important pruning immediately after the flowers fall, leaving few buds in order to develop new branches that will bloom the following year.
It is advisable to eliminate some central branches, in order to thin out the foliage and avoid excessive weakening of the branches in formation.
Forsythia does not require particular types of soil, nor is it a demanding plant in climatic terms: the shrub, in fact, grows well even in universal soils, as long as they are fresh. The plant also resists frost and drought; in any case, forsythia loves direct sunlight.
The multiplication takes place by semi-woody cutting.
Although it lends itself excellently as a bush in free form, the forsphythia can be given a particular pyramidal or sapling shape, depending on the needs. [taken from the writings of Dr. V. Pironi, www.orticolario.it/]

Properties of forsythia

In Oriental medicine, forsythia is used as an anti-inflammatory and antiallergic: these virtues are probably ascribed to forsitioside and verbascoside, phenyl propane glycosylates which are responsible for the formation of hydroperoxide molecules.
Many texts do not attribute any phytotherapeutic properties to forsythia, attributing to it the simple label of a decorative element; only recently, some active ingredients have been isolated (phyllirin, rutin, cyclohexanol, rengiol), to which antiemetic virtues are ascribed (forsythia fruits).

Summary

Forsythia: to fix concepts

Forsythia A rather "intrusive" shrub plant, grown mainly for ornamental purposes, due to its golden and iridescent floral foliage
One of the most generous shrub plants ever Forsythia: origin of the name The strange name of the plant originates from Mr. W. Forsyth, founder of the Royal Horticultural Society in London Forsythia: botanical description

• Botanical name: F. vividly (the progenitor)
• Family: Oleaceae
• Origin: South-Eastern European lands, China and Japan
• Height: 3 m
• Leaves: rounded or oblong and deciduous
• Branches: slender, linear, ocher or brownish colored
• Flowering: before spring
• Flowers: beautiful yellow with four lobes, which bloom in groups of three at the axil of the leaves
• Floral foliage: dense and thick

Forsythia: general characteristics Cultivation of the pint: simple
Climatic requirements: scarce
Water needs: it requires abundant watering in summer
Pruning: important pruning after the flowers have fallen + crown thinning
Soil: universal, fresh
Climate: resists frost and drought
Light: loves direct lighting
Multiplication: by semi-woody cutting Forsythia: properties

• Anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic (Oriental medicine)
• Antiemetics

Forsythia: active ingredients

• Forsitioside and verbascoside (glycosylated phenyl propanes)
• Phyllirin, rutin, cyclohexanol rengiol (in forsythia fruits)