The Arboretum has a long history with forsythia. In 1918, the Arboretum’s first forsythia were introduced by plant collector Ernest Wilson, who had collected Forsythia ovata—called early forsythia—from the Diamond Mountains in Korea. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Arboretum professor and then director Karl Sax experimented with breeding forsythia, introducing many new hybrids, including this one, called ‘Arnold Giant’ due to its height. Today, the Arboretum’s collection of nearly 100 forsythia comprise a national conservation collection accredited by the Plant Collections Network. Forsythia is an early harbinger of spring, when its yellow blooms stand out on the branches. Small green leaves emerge soon after, and turn yellow in the fall.