For Spring color WOW, I planted coral-red Flowering Quince and/or Pink Flowering Almond near my Forsythias. The colors look smashing together! The Quince blooms best when kept trimmed back (more branches mean more flowers). The Flowering Almond is a small shrub, so looks nice in front of Forsythias.
In some places I have old-fashioned Spirea next to the Forsythia. The tiny white flowers of the Spirea look great with the bright yellow of the Forsythias. Any or all of these together look awesome and makes a great hedge row.
I also have sweet smelling Mock Orange bushes growing next to Forsythias.
They all like the same kind of soil and growing conditions.
In two areas, I have Eastern Redbud trees growing behind them about ten feet back. It's really pretty.
In another area, I planted my Forsythias in front of Junipers (Oklahoma Cedars). The yellow flowers of the Forsythia silhouetted against the dark green branches of the Juniper has a lovely natural appeal and really is a show stopper.
In front of these I have tulips, irises and/or yellow Jonquils planted in a natural, random pattern. All bloom at the same time every year.
These are some of my favorite combos.

I started with one plant of each, but by dividing them periodically, I now have them all over my property.

~Annie

Oh Annie, I love some of these ideas! I will take a look at all of these and see which will be best for our zone. Thanks!

Annie, I just found a photo of forsythia and quince--stunning!

My Forsythia bloom so early, much earlier than any of my other flowering shrubs so you are right to check for those that will be a good pairing in your zone. I've always wanted a flowering Quince and the coral is beautiful.

Agree about the quince. I love that combo. Although not a shrub, bulbs/perennials are nice under forsythia. I especially like the Chionodoxa de luciliae (Glory of the Snow, blue shades), Iris reticulata, scilla. Love the blues with the yellow, too.

There is a New Hampshire Forsythia that was bred for colder climates. Might be worth looking into.

Forsythias are of the Olive family, interestingly enough.

I have two varieties of Forsythia:

* Linwood (Lynwood) - upright /arching/ deep yellow blooms /very floriferous / double flowers / blooms early

* Unknown variety - very arching / softer yellow / single flowers / blooms later

~Annie

I need one more to replace one that died in a line of three. Is it true one can bend down a branch of a forsythia, cover with dirt, and it will created a new shrub?

schoolhouse,

Yes! That is how I was able to multiply mine! I started with two forsythias (one I bought on Sale at Lowe's and the other was a division from my cousin's bushes), and I now have about 20 nice flowering shrubs. It's amazing how easy they are to propagate!

And actually, they rooted themselves. When their limbs arch down and touch the ground, they root themselves. Then in late summer or early autumn, just separate the newly rooted branch(es) from the mother plant, (if you want to) and plant your new pups out where you want them to grow.

You can also root them easily from cuttings, but the layering method has actually worked faster and better for me.

I only wish that all flowering shrubs were so easy to propagate!

Good luck!
~Annie

Can I do that now in Spring or wait until Fall?

schoolhouse,

You can anytime, as long as the ground isn't frozen - anytime, spring thru fall.

Reminds me of my childhood. My brother and sister (twins) who were always getting in mischief in the house or garden made a "fort" one autumn by burying the ends of the long branches in the ground and then crawling inside their fort
to hide. Our forsythia bush was at the far end of our long narrow lot and mother didn't find out until the next
spring. There were about 20-25 starts all around the bush.
She helped us dig them up and plant them in discarded tin cans. We distributed them up and down the block, with a ring on the doorbell and a run and hide on May Day. Good
memories about 65 years old.

Grandma,

That is a wonderful memory and a great idea. Your mother sounds like a grand lady.
Thank you for sharing.

My little hens helped bury the lower limbs of my Forsythias last year...and my Oakleaf Hydrangea. I have two new pups on the Oakleaf H. due to their scratching and digging underneath the bush last summer. I set a big rock on top of it this fall when I saw that those branches were beginning to root. (Ha ha ha) But the twins making a fort is so precious and the best layering/rooting story I have ever heard.
(still chuckling...)
~Annie

The farmhouse I grew up in had forsythia and flowering quince planted together...it's a classic combination. :)