Forsythia

I want to cover another flower today, this one is both abundant and medicinal; forsythia!

Let’s look at the plant profile.

Plant Profile:

Scientific Name: Forsythia suspenda

Preferred Habitat: Parks, yards, decorative landscapes.

Edible Parts: Flowers, and young leaves (not the older leaves)

Distribution: Mostly found as a landscaping shrub since it is native to Asia

Harvest Season: Early to mid-Spring

Key Identifiers: Bright yellow flowers blooming on a woody shrub with no leaves, usually when most things are not blooming yet.

Toxic Look-Alikes: None in my region, but warmer zones may have some look-alikes.

Nutrition:

You know the drill here

• Antibacterial

• Antiviral

• Anti-inflammatory

• May contain cancer-fighting compounds

• Traditionally used to treat nausea and fever

• Supports cardiovascular health

• Supports respiratory health

• Diuretic effects

• Bitter, cooling, and minor acrid properties

Uses

Being a medicinal flower, forsythia is usually used as a small addition to meals or prepared as a medicine on its own.

Many people turn it into a jelly, ferment it in honey, use it as garnish, make infused oils, add it to soaps, make it into a face wash, add it into kombucha or other beverages, use it to flavor syrups, make teas, or a myriad of other things!

For being such a normal landscaping shrub, it sure has many uses.

One important disclaimer: since I don’t know the exact nutrient content of forsythia flowers, I don’t actually know the best way to take it for medicinal purposes. With some plants this can make a huge difference (see my elderberry article) so I tend to err on the side of caution and eat it raw when possible.

One last note about eating forsythia: There is some concern about some compounds that can make some people sick when eating the leaves that aren't small and tender. This may not be a concern for everyone, but I would personally prefer to stick with the flowers and get my leafy greens elsewhere just to avoid any concerns at all.

Growing Habit

Forsythia grows in a weeping shape spilling out from the base and bending downward when the branches are long enough.

When these branches touch the ground, they will sometimes form roots and take hold. When done intentionally, this is known as “layering”. If you want to clone a forsythia shrub, simply weigh down one of the branches with a rock so it touches exposed soil and leave it until late summer or early fall, then cut it off from the main shrub when roots have formed.

The nice thing is, each plant produces a ton of flowers, so you generally don’t need more than a shrub or two per family.

Forsythia is hardy down to -20°F (-29°C) and will still bloom after a frost making it a pretty resilient and low-maintenance addition to a medicine garden! (Not to mention early pollinators love it!)

As for varieties, I recommend either getting plants from wild ones that have escaped cultivation, or getting one of the following:

• “Gold Tide”: This variety is known for staying short (around 2ft tall)

• “Show Off” This variety has twice the amount of flowers of a normal shrub

Both varieties can be bought from this supplier:

The Tree Center

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