SCIENTIFIC NAME: Abeliophyllum distichum

COMMON NAME: Korean Abelia, White Forsythia

GARDEN SIZE: 3 to 5 feet tall x 3 to 4 feet wide

GROWTH RATE: Fast

USDA ZONE: 5 to 8

EXPOSURE: Full sun to partial shade

WATER & SOIL: Prefers well-drained soil; drought-tolerant, does not tolerate wet conditions

HABIT (FORM): Low, Mounding, Spreading

FOLIAGE: Deciduous; leaves emerge after flowering

FLOWERS: Purple buds open into mildly fragrant, four-petaled flowers that are white to a lightly tinted pink, blooming in early spring (March to April)

PLANT ORIGIN: Korea

WILDLIFE SUPPORT: May provide some nesting sites and shelter for birds and small mammals, but does not serve as much of a host for local insects and wildlife. May provide food for insects in the spring.

FERTILIZING: Not necessary, but organic compost may be applied in the spring.

PRUNING: Low maintenance; prune after flowering to shape and maintain size

TOXICITY FLAGS: Generally considered non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses.

USES: Hedges, Screens, Specimen, Spring and Fall Interest