Forsythia (Forsythia × intermedia) is a deciduous shrub that announces spring in March and April with masses of yellow flowers on bare branches. It grows in almost any garden soil, in sun or partial shade, but flowers most freely in full sun, and it tolerates dry spells and urban pollution well. Plant container or bare-root shrubs in autumn or spring, allowing 1.5–2 m of space. The key to good flowering is the timing of pruning: forsythia forms its flower buds on last year's shoots, so prune immediately after flowering, as cutting in autumn or winter removes next spring's flowers. Each year, take out a few of the oldest stems at ground level and shorten over-long shoots by about a third; this stops the shrub becoming a dense tangle that flowers only at the top. Neglected shrubs can be cut back hard to 30 cm and recover within two seasons. Branches cut in late winter and brought indoors flower in a vase within about a week.