Fiesta Forsythia, a beautiful variegated version for Spring

Fiesta Forsythia

Fiesta Forsythia is just one member of the Forsythia family. Forsythias are called Harbingers of Spring since they are such early bloomers. They get covered with yellow flowers before they even think about putting out leaves.

After the long, cold months of winter, those of us in the northern snowy states anxiously await the loads of yellow flowers of Forsythias. It is a welcome relief for our cabin fever suffered over winter.

While most Forsythias do bloom with yellow flowers, it’s the leaves that really sets some of the varieties apart. Lynwood Gold has some of the boldest yellow flowers but it only has plain green leaves the rest of the year.

Leaf details make the difference

Kumson Forsythia has some nice yellow flowers and then is followed by some unique leaves. While the leaves are green, the veins in those leaves show up and stand out. The veins are a yellowish-white color.

But I think the best all-around Forsythia to earn a spot in your yard is the Fiesta Forsythia. It has the traditional yellow flowers, less than Lynwood Gold, but hey it flowers. It has green leaves that come out after flowering. But wait just a second. Those green leaves also have yellow patterning in the center and in the veining areas.

A plant with variegated leaves is always a standout. But it doesn’t end there. The branches are also a bright yellow. The leaves are also more oval-shaped.

Fiesta Forsythia not only ushers in Spring with some yellow flowers, but also fills in as a variegated specimen. That variegation is made even better with its yellow branching. The only thing this plant lacks is fruit.

Confused blooming???

Another interesting thing about this Forsythia is it’s inability to read a calendar. For the last couple of years mine has also put out some flowers in the fall. This may be because of weird summer weather but it is kind of neat.

If you are looking for some early Spring flowering pop you’ll hear the word Forsythia. Most will go for the major bold yellow of Lynwood Gold. Then they’ll have second thoughts after all the green leaves show up all summer.

But, if you want that interesting flowering, and summer interest, then you just gotta find some Fiesta Forsythia. A slow start with fewer flowers, but what a color show the rest of the season. This is my favorite Forsythia for sure!

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