Side by side
Forsythia or winter jasmine? How to tell them apart
Forsythia · Jasminum nudiflorum
How to tell them apart – forsythia: a shrub with simple leaves and grey-brown twigs that only flowers in March–April; winter jasmine: shrub with long, green, arching twigs and small yellow flowers on the bare wood in the middle of winter.
How do you recognise them?
- Forsythia
- Shrub that turns completely yellow in March with bell-shaped flowers, before the leaves appear.
- Compared with winter jasmine: a shrub with simple leaves and grey-brown twigs that only flowers in March–April.
- Winter jasmine
- Shrub with long, green, arching twigs and small yellow flowers on the bare wood in the middle of winter.
| Forsythia | Winter jasmine | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Opposite, lance-shaped, 5–10 cm, toothed; sometimes trifoliate. | Opposite, trifoliate with 3 small (1–3 cm), untoothed, dark green leaflets. |
| Flowering | Bright yellow, bell-shaped flowers along the bare branches, March–April (March–April). | Bright yellow flowers (2–3 cm) with 5–6 lobes, single in the leaf axils on the bare twigs, November–March; unscented (December–March). |
| Fruit | Small capsules (rarely). | Rarely sets fruit here. |
| Bark | Yellowish-brown with lenticels; twigs hollow or chambered. | Green, square twigs that stay green in winter; they root where they touch the ground. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 2–3 m | Climber, 2–3 m against a wall |
| Site | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal | Sun to shade, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Little | – |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | April–May | March–April |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Choose what suits your soil, your light and the space you have: see the growing conditions in the table.
Read on
- Plant profile: Forsythia
- Plant profile: Winter jasmine
- Forsythia: when and how to prune
- Winter jasmine: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
- Forsythia or cornelian cherry
- Forsythia or Japanese kerria
- Forsythia or winter hazel
- Common jasmine or winter jasmine
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.