I had a forsythia bush outside my Ohio bedroom window. This allowed me to be one of the first in our household to say, “Spring is here!”
When those bright yellow blooms opened against the browns and grays of an Ohio late winter, the world seemed brighter.
Eastern Redbuds, which bloom pink against the blue sky in April, follow Forsythia. A tall shrub or small tree with springtime appeal is worth considering.
Sunny to partly shaded, well-drained soil with regular rainfall. As early as late January or early February in warmer zones, late March in colder zones.
After spring blossoming, trim the shrub since late summer and early fall blooms occur the next year.
Regularly moist, well-drained soil, full sun to part shade. From late January or early February in warmer zones to May in colder zones.
Blooms draw butterflies. After blooming, leaves form, making flowers stand out.
Originally from lower Michigan to upper Florida, in the Eastern United States. The Oklahoma state tree.