White Forsythia
happycottontail
Posts: 394
in Plants
On GQT today Chris Beardshaw's plant of the month was Abeliophyllum distichum - or White Forsythia to you and me. I wondered if anyone has one of these in their garden, and if not, why not?
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2 reasons why we do not have it, 1 It needs a warm position to flower well and avoid being damaged by late frosts. 2. Never seen it on sale at a price we would pay.
Looks a nice plant though, if you have somewhere to grow it.
Planted one it has never flowered
Looked at it for white border but found out it was tricky so didn't bother
It might be just the thing for a spot by our porch in our west-facing front garden - the soil's quite well-drained - the blurb says a south or east facing wall - can anyone think why a west facing wall wouldn't be ok?
As for the price - I've seen worse http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/shrubs/abeliophyllum-distichum-roseum-group/itemno.PL00000015/
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
What does it look like in summer? Forsythias don't have much to offer after flowering. Warm spots are mostly by the house and there plants need to look reasonable for as long as poss.
In the sticks near Peterborough
I was thinking that it could go next to the porch which has open sides and so in the summer has tubs of flowering plants in it, and it's quite a deep bed so there's room for plants that are more interesting in the summer to go in front of it.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
That sounds a good idea Dove
In the sticks near Peterborough
Thanks for the helpful comments. The link that dovefromabove has given is to the pink variety which may be cheaper than the white. Perhaps I should have a look at other winter flowering shrubs. Any suggestions?
Viburnum x bodnantense, easy smells wonderful, not much shape as a bush for the rest of the year. Sarcococca, small, neat evergreen, lovely scent. Various mahonias, scent again. Daphne bhuloa, fantastic scent, not so reliable for survival. Assorted winter flowering honeysuckles, lovely scent. These are all out now. Is this the time you want the flowers
In the sticks near Peterborough
Yes nutcutlet, I think it would be lovely to have someting scented flowering now to cheer people up on a dismal winter's day! I hadn't realised that there were honeysuckles that bloom in winter! This forum is wonderful! By the way, I am up in Harrogate, 10 minutes drive from Harlow Carr, so it's generally a few degrees cooler up here in North Yorkshire, and we have later Springs, shorter Summers and colder Winters than down south.