PlantFiles: White Forsythia, Korean Abelia
Abeliophyllum distichum

I was given mine by a friend. Put it next to a yellow forsythia. It blooms nicely with lots of blossoms. One drawback is they do not last as long as the yellow ones.

I ordered and planted this lovely sweet smelling white forsythia three years ago and it was small, planted it on the setting sun side of our home, and it flowered for its first time this year! Wow, what a treat!! We have two yellows which we love but this white with fragrance is very special and we're so pleased that it's happy in our zone 5!!!!

I identified this shrub during our first spring in our new home. It's flowers were pretty, but not as showy as forsythia (It may be too shaded). The branches are gnarled with age and the leaves are lush green.

I have recently become acquainted with the 'Roseum' form of Abeliophyllum distichum. It has true rosey colored blooms and is fragrant and most attractive. It blooms about late March in northern Cecil County, Maryland. I have a relative who will be trying it in zone 6, near Pittsburgh. It tends to sprawl and cascades so planting over a wall's edge seems best to most enjoy its unique Forsythia-like blooms. It also seems to most enjoy rich, moist, well-drained soil. When it blooms next spring, I will include a picture.

This round, deciduous shrub with a multi-stemmed habit is commonly called white forsythia. It is a rapid grower which will produce arching branches up to 5' tall and 4' wide. It is grown primarily for its very early, often profuse, spring bloom which consists of dense axillary clusters of white (sometimes with a pink tinge), 4-petaled, slightly fragrant flowers which open from purple buds in late March and cover the naked stems before the leaves unfold. Bloom slightly precedes related true forsythias. After bloom, the medium green foliage is generally unremarkable and produces little if any fall color.