forsooth! forsythia

[fflo]

sprig5 just posted an image with a spot of forsythia. That reminded me of seeing sprigs thereof in a fancy flower display in the lobby of the auditorium at St. Matthew's Passion the other night. There were pussy willows, too, which I've loved long, and we stood around stroking those, alerting strangers, some of whom then had to feel them themselves. But those forsythia branches had me thinking how I couldn't remember seeing forsythia bushes up here, the way you do in Spring, what, everywhere else, right? Or in the lower 45, or 37, or w/e?

Turns out having had them in Kansas and Maryland was a deceptive sample. Green is where there are; not green is where they ain't:


(Click on the map for some stuff about the plant.)

If you live where they're around a lot, even if you don't particularly pay attention to plants, it's hard not to notice that they've started telling you it's Spring.

A snowstorm here again last night. But word is Monday will be warm. Like, really warm. In the 50s F warm. Maybe HIGH 50s.

I really don't care how muddy and rainy it gets. Bring me the big sloppy mess, O goddesses of Earth and Spring.

Comments

[peteralway.livejournal.com]

I distinctly remember my parents talking about Forsythia here in Michigan in my youth. Not that the word meant anything to me. Noting that it is a plant imported by gardeners, I'm not even sure what it means to be where they are on that map. I'm certain it's not where they *can* grow, and it can't be where gardeners happen to have planted them. Maybe it's were there are wild, invasive populations?

Hard to figure.

[fflo.livejournal.com]

none of 'em are "native," by horticultural standards, anyway.

[fflo.livejournal.com]

seems it may have to do with where the distribution of the genus (Forsythia Vahl) is significant enough to be tracked by county by the USDA.

i'm gonna watch for them this year. maybe they're just not common.

this just in

[fflo.livejournal.com]

"hardy in USDA zones 4-9"