Habitat

• native to China
• zone 5

Habit and Form

• a deciduous shrub
• 8' to 10' tall and 10' to 15' wide
• distinctly weeping habit with fine, arching and trailing branches

Summer Foliage

• opposite leaf arrangement
• leaves are mostly simple, but vigorous shoots develop trifoliate or 3-lobed or 2-lobed leaves
• simple leaves are wedge-shaped, 2" to 4" long and 1" to 2" wide
• leaf color is medium to dark green

Autumn Foliage

• yellow-green

Flowers

• yellow and 4-lobed
• 1" to 1.25" across
• in groups of 1 to 3 usually
• blooms in March and April
• doesn't bloom as heavily as F. x intermedia

Fruit

• inconspicuous brown capsule

Bark

• yellowish-brown color
• most stems are slender, so bark is not of ornamental importance
• prominent lenticels

Culture

• adaptable to many soils
• easily transplanted and established
• full sun is best, but partial shade is tolerated with reduced blooming
• tolerant of urban conditions

Landscape Use

• most appropriately used on banks or over walls
• must cascade to be at its best in the landscape
• useful as a barrier
• for erosion control on slopes

Liabilities

• flower buds only cold hardy to -10 to -15^oF while plant is hardy to -20 to -25^oF
• flower bud kill occurs regularly above the snow line in zones 4 and 5
• long trailing branches can consume nearby plants that are too close

ID Features

• four-lobed yellow flowers in spring
• fine, cascading branches
• simple and trifoliate leaves are often present
• prominent stem lenticels
• pith solid at the nodes and hollow in the internode regions
• decurrent lines conspicuous on stems

Propagation

• easy by cuttings
• layers readily

Cultivars/Varieties

• none of importance