Greenstem Forsythia

Forsythia viridissima

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

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Not native

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

Profile 76%

Height: 6–10 feet
Spread: 6–10 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Dry to moist

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At a glance

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

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Recorded in 26 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

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

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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
Soil pH: Neutral to alkaline
Flower color: Yellow or 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) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Yellow or green” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Hardiness · “Zones 5a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “6–10 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “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
Soil · “Dry; Moist (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Soil pH · “Neutral to alkaline” · 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