Early Blooming Shrubs Q&A

By Pat Curran, Horticulture Educator, Tompkins County Cornell Cooperative Extension, (published April 2011)

Question: I see some shrubs blooming with yellow flowers, but a friend said they were not Forsythia. What are they, and what other April-blooming shrubs are good?

Answer: The shrubs are probably Cornus mas, Cornelian cherry, a relative of the flowering dogwood (despite the name, there is no relation to Cornell University, and it's not a cherry!). The flowers bloom a little earlier and are a little more chartreuse than Forsythia, and the bushes grow bigger, sometimes more like a small tree. In addition, they have red fruits in the summer that are good for jelly, and old bushes may have nicely exfoliating bark.

A tough, old-fashioned shrub is flowering quince, Chaenomeles speciosa. This large shrub is best suited to the back of a shrub border, where it will bloom about the same time as Forsythia. Flower color varies from white to pink to crimson to peach to orangey-red. The rest of the year, it is just a twiggy green mass that may host birdnests and produce a few fruits for preserves. 'Cameo' is a 5' tall variety with peachy-pink double flowers and disease-resistant leaves.

Another April-blooming shrub is the 'PJM' Rhododendron group. These rhododendrons have small evergreen leaves that may turn purplish in the winter. 'PJM' comes in a very bright lavender-pink, while its relative 'April Snow' is white. Like all rhododendrons, they need acid soil, moist but well-drained. However, they are hardy to zone 4 and more tolerant of winter sun than most rhododendrons we can grow.

For more information on gardening, including vegetables, consult the Cornell gardening website or call the Garden Helpline at Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie and Otsego Counties at (607) 547-2536 ext. 228. 

Last updated February 24, 2021