Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Forsythia 'Lynwood Gold' (Forsythia × intermedia 'Lynwood Gold')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Border Forsythia.

More about forsythia 'lynwood gold'

About Forsythia 'Lynwood Gold'

Forsythia × intermedia 'Lynwood Gold' · also called Border Forsythia · flowering

Forsythia × intermedia 'Lynwood Gold' is a vigorous deciduous shrub that erupts in brilliant golden-yellow flowers along bare arching stems in early spring, before the leaves. One of the most reliable and free-flowering forsythias, it makes a dazzling specimen, informal hedge, or screen and is exceptionally easy to grow in cold-temperate gardens.

Cold limit: USDA 5-8 (flower buds hardiest to about zone 5) · RHS H6 (-34 to 32°C)

Watch for — Poor or no flowering: Usually caused by shade, pruning at the wrong time, or hard winters killing buds. It blooms on old wood, so prune only immediately after flowering and give it full sun.

What forsythia 'lynwood gold''s hardiness rating actually means

Yes — forsythia 'lynwood gold' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 5-8 (flower buds hardiest to about zone 5), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H6 means: Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe. On the US scale that maps to USDA 5-8 (flower buds hardiest to about zone 5) — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Forsythia 'Lynwood Gold' is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for forsythia 'lynwood gold' as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can forsythia 'lynwood gold' go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 5-8 (flower buds hardiest to about zone 5) and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when forsythia 'lynwood gold' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H6 figure above.

Forsythia 'Lynwood Gold' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is forsythia 'lynwood gold' cold hardy?

Yes — forsythia 'lynwood gold' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 5-8 (flower buds hardiest to about zone 5), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Forsythia 'Lynwood Gold' is hardy across USDA 5-8 (flower buds hardiest to about zone 5); it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature forsythia 'lynwood gold' can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Forsythia 'Lynwood Gold' is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is forsythia 'lynwood gold'?

Forsythia 'Lynwood Gold' is rated USDA 5-8 (flower buds hardiest to about zone 5) and RHS H6 — Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe.

Can forsythia 'lynwood gold' survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 5-8 (flower buds hardiest to about zone 5) and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to forsythia 'lynwood gold' below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.