Woodie’s Picks: Four Spring Show-Stoppers To Always Come Back To
There are plants that look good in spring, and then there are plants that announce spring. Forsythia and Azaleas live in that second category. They don’t whisper— they show up with color that changes the whole mood of a yard, right when we’re all craving proof that winter is truly behind us.
The four varieties below are favorites because they’re reliable, landscape-useful, and they bring that “wow” factor without needing a complicated plan. Two are forsythias that deliver golden fireworks early. Two are azaleas that bring rich, romantic blooms and a refined, evergreen presence in the right settings. If you’re building a spring landscape that feels joyful and intentional, these are the kinds of plants that do the heavy lifting.
Lynwood Gold Forsythia
Lynwood Gold is the forsythia I trust in my designs when I want spring to look confident. It blooms hard and bright, covering its branches in rich golden flowers that feel like sunlight you can plant.
Three landscape benefits:
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Early-season impact: It’s one of the best “spring kickoff” shrubs—bold bloom when the rest of the landscape is still waking up.
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Big, arching structure: Even after flowering, it maintains a classic fountain shape, adding movement and softness to borders and property edges.
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Versatile screening and massing: It’s excellent for larger drifts, informal hedges, and back-of-bed structure where you want a reliable shrub that fills space beautifully.
Why it’s a favorite forsythia: Lynwood Gold is dependable and generous—when you want that classic forsythia look, this is the standard-bearer. It doesn’t just bloom; it glows, and it makes spring feel official.
Show Off® Starlet® Forsythia
If Lynwood Gold is the classic, Show Off Starlet® Forsythia is the modern upgrade for smaller spaces. It delivers the same electric yellow bloom, but with a more compact habit that’s easier to place and keep tidy.
Three landscape benefits:
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Compact size for tight landscapes: Perfect for foundation beds, smaller borders, and mixed shrub plantings where you want forsythia color without the “takes over the yard” vibe.
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Cleaner, more controlled form: It gives you the bright spring show while staying more landscape-friendly—great for pairing with evergreens and perennials.
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Front-of-border spring punch: Because it stays smaller, you can use it closer to walkways and patios, bringing that early bloom right into your day-to-day view.
Why it’s a favorite forsythia: This is forsythia for real life—big spring payoff, smarter scale. It’s one of my go-to picks when someone says, “I love forsythia, but I don’t have room for a giant shrub.”
Hershey Red Azalea
Azaleas are spring romance in shrub form, and the Hershey Red Azalea is one of my favorites because red blooms bring a depth and richness you can’t fake. It’s the kind of color that looks intentional and classic—especially in partial shade, where reds hold their saturation beautifully.
Three landscape benefits:
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Bold spring color with sophistication: Red azaleas create focal moments—near entries, woodland edges, and patio plantings—without feeling loud or messy.
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Excellent for layered, woodland-style landscapes: Azaleas are natural companions for hydrangeas, hollies, ferns, and hostas, helping you build that lush “garden room” feeling.
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Season-long structure: Even when not in bloom, azaleas add a dense, leafy presence that keeps beds from feeling bare, especially when planted in groups.
Why it’s a favorite azalea: Hershey Red brings that “classic garden” emotion—deep color, soft texture, and the ability to transform a shaded space into a spring destination.
Gumpo Pink Azalea
Gumpo Pink is the azalea I reach for when I want a lower, more mounded form—something that reads as a flowering cushion along the front of a bed. It’s charming, easy to weave into mixed plantings, and it blooms with a sweet softness that feels welcoming.
Three landscape benefits:
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Low, spreading habit for edging: Great for the front of foundation beds, path borders, or as a flowering evergreen groundcover-like shrub in the right conditions.
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Soft pink color that pairs with everything: Pink plays beautifully with whites, purples, blues, and fresh spring greens, so it’s easy to design around.
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Massing power: Gumpo azaleas look especially good planted in groups—creating a thick ribbon of spring bloom that feels lush and established.
Why it’s a favorite azalea: It’s the perfect mix of pretty and practical. Gumpo Pink gives you a big spring payoff at a scale that’s easy to place, which makes it one of the best “design-friendly” azaleas for home landscapes.
How I Use These Together (And Why They’re Such a Good Combo)
One of my favorite spring strategies is pairing forsythia’s early gold color with azalea’s later, richer bloom. Forsythia kicks the season open with light. Azaleas come in behind with color that feels romantic and layered. Add a few evergreen anchors (like boxwood or holly), and suddenly the spring landscape looks planned—not accidental.
Try this simple layout idea: put a forsythia where it can be seen from the street or kitchen window (it’s your spring “signal flare”), then use azaleas in partial shade closer to the house or under taller trees where their foliage stays lush, and their blooms feel like you discovered them on a garden walk. The sequence creates a spring experience, not just a moment.
Woodie’s Take
These are my favorite types of forsythia and azaleas because they’re high-emotion plants that also do real landscape work. They don’t just bloom; they build mood, define space, and give your garden that established, welcoming feeling people notice the second they pull into the driveway.
Lynwood Gold brings classic golden fireworks. Show Off® Starlet® gives you that same joy in a smarter size. Hershey Red adds depth and drama in spring shade. Gumpo Pink offers soft, mounded charm you can use almost anywhere.
Plant these once, place them well, and you’ll look forward to spring in a whole new way—because your landscape won’t just wake up. It’ll celebrate.