Forsythia intermedia Mêlée dOr

Forsythia Mélée d'Or (Courtaneur) is a recent and original hybrid variety developed by INRA.  It is a sunny plant in spring, with summer interest and superb autumnal purple-violet colour. Forming a not very high but very dense ball, this shrub offers abundant light yellow flowers in early spring and  its light green vivid foliage,  geometrically displayed along the branches, accentuates the strong personality of this Forsythia unlike any other. An unusual, space-saving and very graphic forsythia that will make a sensation in a small garden, in a rockery or on the edge of a flower bed!

Forsythia x intermedia Mélée d'Or is a small deciduous bush, belonging to the olive family. It descends from a spontaneous hybrid resulting from two species native to China, Forsythia suspensa and Forsythia viridissima. It will reach a maximum of 1 m (3 ft 4 in) in all directions, with its regular, well-rounded, well-branched, and very dense growth habit. Like other forsythias, it provides a true spring spectacle in March, literally covering its bare branches with numerous small bell-shaped flowers of 4 cm (1.6 in) in diameter, tightly packed along the branches, with petals and stamens of a warm and bright yellow. The flowering is followed by the appearance of the foliage, deciduous, regularly and densely arranged around the branches. The leaves of this variety are a slightly bluish green shade from spring to summer, before turning dark purple-violet in autumn. These are long pointed leaves measuring 8 to 10 cm (3.1 to 3.9 in) long, with very dentate edges.

Forsythia Mélée d'Or is perfectly hardy and very easy to maintain, it grows in all types of soil and under most climates. This compact variety with is ideal for small spaces such as rockeries, flower beds and borders or small gardens. It also grows very well in pots, due to its moderate growth. It can be planted alone, or in the company of Japanese quinces, Japanese spireas, compact Cotinus (Cotinus coggygria Lilla), or even with mahonias or dwarf purple Berberis. It can be planted as a low, flowering hedge, as its branching is quite low. In early December, cut a branch or two and put them in a vase, they will bloom for Christmas.