Meadowlark Forsythia

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III-25 Meadowlark Forsythia Environmental Requirements (Forsythia x Soils Soil Texture - Prefers clay to loam soils. Coarse textured, ‘Meadowlark’) droughty soils should be avoided. Soil pH - 5.5 to 8.0. Not adapted to saline soils. General Description Windbreak Suitability Group - 1, 1K, 3, 4, 4C, 5. A hybrid of Early Forsythia (F. ovata), native to Korea, and Cold Hardiness Albanian Forsythia (F. europaea), native to Europe. This is USDA Zone 3. the hardiest of all forsythias evaluated at NDSU. Meadow- lark forsythia, a cultivar introduced by North Dakota State Water University, South Dakota State University and the Arnold Avoid droughty or ponded sites. Arboretum in 1986, performs well in plantings throughout the Northern Plains. Showy yellow flowers. The largest Light shrub in North Dakota is 13 feet tall with a canopy spread Full sun or light shade. of 15 feet. Uses Leaves and Buds Bud Arrangement - Opposite. Conservation/Windbreaks Bud Color - Yellow-brown. Medium to large shrub for farmstead windbreaks. Bud Size - 1/8 inch. Wildlife Leaf Type and Shape - Simple, ovate or broad ovate with Dense shrub form provides cover to many wildlife species. an acute point. Leaf Margins - Coarsely-toothed or entire with no serra- Agroforestry tions. No known products. Leaf Surface - Smooth, leathery. Urban/Recreational Leaf Length - 1½ to 3½ inches. Wide variety of uses in landscape due to its showy yellow Leaf Width - 1 to 2 inches. flowers in early spring. Leaf Color - Dark green; purple fall color. Cultivated Varieties Flowers and Fruits Other Forsythia ovata (Early F.) x F. europaea (Albanian F.) Flower Type - Solitary, borne on short stalks, tubular. hybrids include: Flower Color - Bright yellow. Northern Gold Forsythia (F. x ‘Northern Gold’) - Canadian Fruit Type - 2 celled dehiscent capsules with many seeds. introduction. Fruit Color - Light green, ripen to tannish. Northern Sun Forsythia (F. x ‘Northern Sun’) - University of Minnesota introduction. Form Growth Habit - Rounded crown. Related Species Texture - Medium, summer; medium-coarse, winter. Early Forsythia (Forsythia ovata) Crown Height - 6 to 11 feet. Crown Width - 6 to 11 feet. Pests Root System - Fibrous, spreading. No pest problems to date in North Dakota. No Forsythia is totally flower bud hardy every winter under Northern Plains conditions.

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