Image by Sharon.
How fabulous – a white forsythia. Abeliophyllum distichum is a beautiful, far more refined late winter-flowering shrub, with almond-scented white star-shaped flowers that blush pink at the centre. Like its yellow-flowered relative Forsythia, it flowers profusely on bare branches in February, although it often beats true forsythia to the first bloom.
If you’re charmed enough to grow this lovely shrub in your garden, make sure you plant it in a sunny spot, and prepare to be envied by anyone who thought yellow forsythia were good enough. But if you’re really keen to move away from common colours, you can even buy a rare pink form.
Vital stats:
Location:
Fertile, well-drained soil. Dislikes drought.
Light:
Full sun
When to plant:
Autumn
What can I expect from this plant?
Height: 6ft
Spread: 6ft
Flowers: February
