What are some good forsythia varieties for Iowa?

Question:

What are some good forsythia varieties for Iowa?

Answer:

When selecting a forsythia, choose a cultivar that reliably blooms in Iowa.

Forsythias to avoid planting in Iowa

The flower buds on some varieties are not reliably cold hardy in Iowa, and typically don’t bloom well in Iowa as their flower buds are often killed by cold winter temperatures.

• ‘Lynwood Gold’
• ‘Spring Glory’

Forsythias that grow well in Iowa

Forsythia varieties that grow well and bloom reliably in Iowa include:

• ‘Meadowlark’ (bright yellow flowers, grows 8 to 10 feet tall, has arching spreading form)
• ‘Northern Sun’ (medium yellow flowers, grows 8 to 10 feet tall, has arching spreading form, University of Minnesota introduction)
• ‘Sunrise’ (medium yellow flowers, grows 5 to 6 feet tall, dense growth habit, an Iowa State University introduction)
• ‘Northern Gold’ (yellow gold flowers, grows 8 to 10 feet tall).