Forsythia viridissima

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Species Distribution Map
Family:OLEACEAE
Species:Forsythia viridissima Lindl.
Common Name:Green Stem Forsythia; Golden Bells
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Shrub
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:**
Plant Notes:Green Stem Forsythia is an introduced deciduous shrub in the Olive family (Oleaceae). It is native to China. Green Stem Forsythia is often cultivated and has been collected as an escape in scattered areas across Alabama. It occurs on roadside banks, along fence rows, and at old home sites. It is a medium sized shrub with arching stems. The stems will root when in contact with the soil, forming thickets. The branches are glabrous, four-angled, and with lamellate pith. The young shoots are green in color. Older branches have thin gray bark with conspicuously raised corky bumps. Leaves are opposite, petiolate, elliptic to lanceolate in outline, glabrous, and with serrate margins. Bright yellow heterosylous flowers are produced in fascicles of 1-4 flowers from the old leaf axils and appear before the leaves. The individual flowers are on short pedicels. The persistent calyx is deeply 4-lobed. The lobes are ovate or elliptic in outline and ciliate. The corolla is campanulate with 4 lobes that are longer than the tube. Each flower has 2 stamens, a slender style, and a 2-cleft stigma. The fruit is a capsule. Green Stem Forsythia is a “hand me down” plant, often shared with friends. It is easy to grow and tolerates poor soils, urban conditions, and drought. It grows vigorously, and needs to be pruned to maintain it under control. Pruning should occur immediately after flowering as new flower buds form on stems that are at least a year old. Older plants can be cut to ground level to rejuvenate them. It is easily propagated from cuttings or rooted suckers. Green Stem Forsythia can be used as a border or foundation plant or as an accent specimen with other spring flowering shrubs such as Azaleas, Bridle-wreaths, and Camellias.—A. Diamond.
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Not Native
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyOLEACEAE - Olive family
Genus Forsythia
Species Forsythia viridissima Lindl. - Green Stem Forsythia; Golden Bells

Citation

Citation Forsythia viridissima Lindley, J. Hort. Soc. London 1: 226–228. 1846.
Basionym: **
Type: **

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

No synonyms exist for this species.

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Butler, Cherokee, Cleburne, Conecuh, Jackson, St. Clair, Talladega

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, JSU, SAMF, TROY, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: -

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.		 Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used		 Image
UWAL0013965 Conecuh 09 Feb 2013 Diamond, Alvin R.
23724		 UWAL
Forsythia viridissima Lindley
SAMF0004633 Cherokee 19 Apr 2010 Davenport, Lawrence J.
4237		 SAMF
Forsythia viridissima Lindley
JSU134767 Jackson 19 Apr 1999 Brodeur, Kristin R.
1713		 JSU
Forsythia viridissima Lindley
JSU134766 Jackson 26 Mar 1999 Brodeur, Kristin R.
1583		 JSU
Forsythia viridissima Lindley
UWAL0039649 Butler 04 Mar 2018 Diamond, Alvin R.
28087		 UWAL
Forsythia viridissima Lindley
TROY000046376 Butler 04 Mar 2018 Diamond, Alvin R.
28087		 TROY
Forsythia viridissima Lindley
UWAL0054213 Cleburne 19 Jan 2020 Spaulding, Daniel D.
16738		 UWAL
Forsythia viridissima Lindl.
TROY000037992 Conecuh 09 Feb 2013 Diamond, Alvin R.
23724		 TROY
Forsythia viridissima Lindley
UWAL0010280 St. Clair 20 Mar 2010 Keener, Brian R.
5687		 UWAL
Forsythia viridissima Lindl.
TROY000036321 St. Clair 20 Mar 2010 Keener, Brian R.
5687		 TROY
Forsythia viridissima Lindley
SAMF0008312 Cleburne 19 Jan 2020 Spaulding, Daniel D.
16,738		 SAMF
Forsythia viridissima Lindley
ALNHS00004012 Talladega 09 Mar 2016 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#2204		 ALNHS
Forsythia viridissima Lindl.
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