How to Force Forsythia Blooms Indoors

Forsythia flowers are some of my favorite spring bloomers. They have mesmerizing yellow flowers that pop when the temperatures start to warm up. It’s a deciduous shrub that’s easy to grow in yards, gardens, and containers. 

The plant gets its name from William Forsyth, a Scottish botanist and founder of the Royal Horticulture Society. It’s native to East Asia and became a popular ornamental plant in 19th-century Europe. Today, you can find these beautiful shrubs throughout the US. 

If you want to enjoy its bright yellow blooms, you don’t have to go outside. With just a few easy steps, you can decorate your home with yellow flowers by forcing forsythia blooms indoors. Below are the steps to do it and tips on getting them to last. 

Step 1: Wait Until the Buds Are Ready

Forsythia plants grow quickly and can reach up to 10 feet when they’re mature. Because they bloom in spring, their flower buds set in fall, the previous year. Once they’re set, they need cold exposure before blooming. 

After about 2 or 3 months of cold exposure, they naturally start to bloom. In the Midwest, they bloom from mid to late March to mid-April. Around this time, outdoor temperatures warm and trigger the blooms. 

In most regions, the buds are fully prepared for blooming by mid-January or early February. Wait until February or early March before cutting forsythia branches and bringing them indoors to force blooms. The closer it gets to their natural blooming time, the quicker they’ll explode in color. 

Step 2: Select Your Branches

During this time, find a few sturdy branches covered in healthy buds. Find disease-free branches with no signs of abrasions or pest damage. Inspect them from the base of the plant to the tip. 

Choose cuttings in areas with overcrowding. You’re simply pruning your plant before the spring. Flowers such as forsythia can handle aggressive pruning before spring. 

Offshoots, overgrown branches, and suckers growing from the bottom of the plant will make great indoor flowers. You can even clip your favorite branches if you want them to decorate your home. Your forsythia won’t mind a bit. 

Step 3: Make Your Cuttings

Once you’ve chosen where to prune, it’s time to clip the stems. Grab a pair of disinfected pruners for the job. Sterilize them well to prevent transferring diseases or pests to the wounded plant tissues. 

Take your pruners and make your cuts at 45° angles above a side bud. Make your cuttings 1 to 3 feet long, depending on your plant size. If you have a large plant, you can take longer cuttings as long as you have room for them indoors. 

Cut as many forsythia stems as you’d like; they will add vibrant color to your home after you force the blooms indoors. As long as you leave enough foliage at the base, your plant will bounce back and put on new growth in spring. Aim to leave at least 1 to 2 feet of branches after trimming. 

Step 4: Soak Your Branches

After cutting your stems, bruise their base and collect them in a tub or bin. Cover them in warm water. Check to see if any pests caught a ride from outside and remove them. 

Let your forsythia cuttings sit in the water overnight. Keep them submerged using a weighted object such as a piece of wood. 

This makes them more pliable and rehydrates them after cutting. It also removes pests, dirt, and plant debris before bringing them inside your home for display. 

Step 5: Arrange Them in a Container

After soaking them overnight, arrange them in a bucket or empty container. Make sure there are no drainage holes. 

Fill the container halfway with water around 70°F (21°C). Place your branches with the incision side facing downward into the container. Make sure you have enough water to prevent them from becoming top-heavy. Add a couple of heavy rocks to the base to help. 

Step 6: Cover Them With a Bag

Once they’re in their container, cover them with a clear plastic bag. Extend it from the tips of the clippings to the bottom of the container. This will trap moisture and prevent light from reaching the buds. 

Be careful not to disrupt the buds or dislodge them. Be as gentle as possible—lost forsythia buds mean fewer forced blooms to enjoy indoors. 

Step 7: Store Them in a Cool Dark Place

Move your covered forsythia stems to a cool, dry spot in your home. The ambient temperature should be around 60°F (16°C). Basements, attics, and closets will work well. Heated sheds will also work fine. 

Make sure the temperatures don’t get too warm. Keep them away from heaters or warm currents of air. This may encourage them to bloom prematurely. 

Step 8: Check on Your Buds

While you’ll wait, check on the branches, buds, and water. Look for signs of diseases or dying buds. They will slowly develop and prepare for their blooming cycle. 

Replace the water every day or so to prevent bacteria from infecting your plants. Mist the buds with a spray bottle to keep them from drying out. 

Keep them moist throughout this step. If they dry, they will quickly die. Misting them and changing their water regularly will be enough to keep them healthy and alive. 

Step 9: Watch for Signs of Blooming

Keep checking on them daily and maintaining them. Check each branch to see if your beautiful flowers are ready to burst.

After about a week or two, you’ll see the buds grow longer and greener. Once you see the tips turn yellow, it means they’re about to bloom. 

Step 10: Choose Their New Home

Before they bloom, prepare their new home container. This can be a vase or any vessel to lay them in. Get creative and use ornamental containers or your favorite ceramic pots. 

Get fancy with glass or crystal or use old wine bottles for 1 or 2 branch decorations. Choose containers you can move easily and are not too heavy. Have fun choosing a location and find spaces that will accentuate your forsythia’s bright yellow flowers. 

Step 11: Move Them to Their Final Location

Once they’re ready to bloom, take them out of their containers and move them to their new homes. Mist the buds once more and arrange them as you like. Place them in locations where they’ll get plenty of attention. 

Move the forsythia blooms and their new containers to a warm location in your home. Keep them away from windows or direct light. Keep them away from areas with heavy foot traffic to cut the risk of them falling. 

Step 12: Enjoy Their Gorgeous Blooms!

By the time you put them in their new containers, the buds will start to bloom. Within a day or two, they’ll emerge with radiant yellow blossoms covering the branches. 

Keep them indoors on furniture or in your kitchen, away from direct light. They look amazing as centerpieces or as colorful wreaths on your wall. Use them with other flowers as flower arrangements and ikebana. 

Forced forsythia blooms should last from 5 days to just over a week indoors. Take photos of them in your home, use them as decorations, or create beautiful gifts for friends and family. 

Step 13: Don’t Throw Them Away! 

After they bloom, your branches will die. After they fill your home with color, let them die and dry out. Break them apart and use them in your compost. This is a much more sustainable way of disposing of your forsythia branches after they’ve bloomed. 

Dry forsythia blooms and branches will add carbon-rich brown waste to your compost pile. If the branches are still alive, they will add a mixture of useful green and brown waste to your pile. 

You can also clip a few healthy stems from your outside plant to use as cuttings. This is the easiest way to propagate forsythias. After your indoor plants finish blooming, choose a few of your favorite branches to propagate into new shrubs.