General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Shrub
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Soil pH Preferences: Slightly acid (6.1 – 6.5)
Neutral (6.6 – 7.3)
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 5a -28.9 °C (-20 °F) to -26.1 °C (-15 °F)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 8b
Plant Height: 3-5 feet
Plant Spread: 3-6 feet
Leaves: Deciduous
Other: Medium green foliage is generally unremarkable and produces little if any fall color
Flowers: Showy
Fragrant
Blooms on old wood
Other: Prune immediately after bloom because flower buds for the following year will form on the current year's growth
Flower Color: White
Other: Clusters of white (sometimes with a pink tinge), 4-petaled, slightly fragrant flowers which open from purple buds
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Late winter or early spring
Uses: Windbreak or Hedge
Cut Flower
Resistances: Deer Resistant
Rabbit Resistant
Miscellaneous: Monoecious

Image
Common names
  • White Forsythia
  • Korean Abelia
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Abeliophyllum distichum
  • Synonym: Abeliophyllum distichum f. lilacinum

Photo Gallery

photo credit: Krzysztof Ziarnek
Location: St Louis
Date: 2022-03-21
Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Date: 2020-03-16
shrub in bloom
Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Date: 2020-03-16
flower close-up
Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Date: 2015-05-22
foliage
Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Date: 2020-06-09
shrub in a border
Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Date: 2020-06-09
shrub in summer

Date: 2011-04-03
Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Date: 2020-06-09
summer foliage
Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Date: 2020-06-09
stem and twig
Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Date: 2020-06-09
inside shrub of stems and bark
Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Date: 2020-03-16
top of shrub in bloom
Location: My garden in N E Pa. 
Date: 2016-03-19

Date: 2010-06-25
Photo courtesy of: Yoko Nekonomania

Photo courtesy of Joy Creek Nursery
  • Uploaded by Joy
Comments:
  • Posted by ILPARW (southeast Pennsylvania - Zone 6b) on Mar 16, 2020 5:18 PM concerning plant:
    I heard of this Korean Abelialeaf or "White Forsythia" from Korea decades ago, but never saw one. My biggest customer in southeast Pennsylvania has had one for about 20 years. I finally took a photo of it in bloom in early spring and then shots of the shrub in early summer. This shrub is very similar to Forsythia and in the same Olive Family. It has opposite leaves about 2 to 3.5 inches long. Its slender twigs are sort of 4-sided like Forsythia and light brown with a white pith. The white to pink-tinged white flowers are 4-petalled, like Forsythia, and bloom in late winter to early spring before the leaves. It does have an interesting bark. It grows in most any well-drained soil. Like Forsythia, it needs a lot of pruning to look good. Prune right after blooming. It is not a high quality plant; but, it is interesting, though average-looking most of the year.
Plant Events from our members
Meredith79 On June 6, 2013 Obtained plant
Lazy S'S Farm delivery arrived. It is quite small and I am scared my husband will kill it with his weed whacker so I am keeping it potted for now.
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