Korean Forsythia 'Kumson'

Korean Forsythia (Forsythia koreana) 'Kumson' is that rare case where the foliage is more interesting than the flowers. A dense net of silvery-white veins runs across each dark green leaf, as if fine lace had been thrown over the shrub, and in winter the arching purple shoots carry on the pattern.

In early spring, in March and April, the bare branches are smothered in bright yellow tubular flowers, then the foliage takes over and the shrub stays ornamental until the frosts. The size is easy to place, 1-1.5 m tall and wide, so it works in an informal hedge, a mixed group or as a specimen by the entrance.

Key characteristics:

• What makes it special: In autumn the leaves turn purple-violet, and the network of pale veins stands out on them even more clearly than in summer.
• Dimensions: 1-1.5 m tall and 1-1.5 m wide in 5-10 years.
• Hardiness: Hardy to -34 °C (USDA zone 4).
• Flowering: In March-April the bare shoots light up with bright yellow tubular flowers before the leaves appear.
• Light: Full sun or light partial shade; in shade the flowering weakens and the white leaf veining fades.
• Soil: Takes chalk, clay, loam and sand of any pH with ease - the only spots to avoid are waterlogged ones.
• Watering: Young plants are watered regularly for the first years, while established ones are fairly drought-tolerant and ask for water only in a long spell of heat.
• Care: Prune right after flowering (pruning group 2), taking out up to a fifth of the oldest shoots each year.
• Landscape use: Lovely in mixed borders, formal and informal hedges and as a specimen, with the more compact forms happy in containers.