Weeping Forsythia

Forsythia suspensa

Found in waste places, vacant lots, suburban woodlands, commonly planted and persistent, rarely escaped. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

—

Not native

Not native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 82%

Height: 8–10 feet
Spread: 6–10 feet
Light: Dappled sunlight, Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

See native alternatives

Forsythia suspensa — flower photograph — no rights reserved · CC0 · Original photograph

Plant this instead

Your county or city

Choose your county to list local plants first.

Silky Dogwood
Swida amomum
Sun: Deep shade, Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Usually moist. Flowers: Yellow or white.
Similar growth form, height, spread
Northern Highbush Blueberry
Vaccinium corymbosum
Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Pink or white.
Similar growth form, height, spread
Pink Azalea
Rhododendron periclymenoides
Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Usually moist. Flowers: Pink, purple or white.
Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous

Refine these alternatives in the finder

Check a whole list of plants

At a glance

Life cycle: Woody perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: February and May

JFMAMJJASOND

Recorded in 18 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

Forests and woodlands

Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

4CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Forsythia

Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
Cecrita biundataWavy-Lined Heterocampa
Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

—Specialist beesPollen specialists

—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Oleaceae
Hardiness: Zones 5a–8b
Flower color: Yellow
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth habit: Several stems
Foliage color: Green

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “February to early May” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Yellow” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth habit · “Several stems” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 5a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “8–10 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Dappled sunlight (shade through upper canopy all day); Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
primary_flower_color · “yellow” · USDA PLANTS
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “6–10 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Conservation status

Virginia rank	SNA
Global rank	GNR
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source