Are you positive that's a forsythia? Looks very much like the early flowers on Fothergilla gardenii. I have never seen forsythia with that sort of appearance......and any seedheads (which are inconspicuous on forsythia anyway) would appear after flowering, not before.

Here is a link that might be useful:

never in my life.. have a seen a F seed ...

its a bit out of focus.. and too bright.. but it looks sorta.. sorta like a pussywillow ... if not what gal said ...

but if you look close... i do see F down and behind.. are you messin with us.. lol ... and those flowers arent even open yet.. so how are these already bolting to seed ???? the flower bud at 2oclock doesnt match the F behind ....

ken

It really is a forsythia; it blooms every year. It's some sort of a compact forsythia; maximum height 3 to 6 feet. Mine is about 5 feet high. In the picture you can see the yellow buds along the stem almost ready to open. Behind it is a privet hedge. Looking at it again, the fringies are yellowish-greenish. I think this forsythia is a hybrid. Could it be that forsythia stock was "mixed" with something else, and the something else is re-emerging? Here's more pics. And I'm not messin' with ya!

We are looking at two different plants - guarantee it. There is nothing about the stems those fluffy white things are attached to that resembles forsythia and there are no impending yellow flower buds further down those stems either. Ken's guess at a some sort of willow catkin is pretty good. Willows bloomed about a month ago here which is why they didn't enter my mind :-) But two separate plants for sure.

FWIW, most forsythia cultivars ARE hybrids - hybrids between two species of forsythia. But they don't produce any growth that looks like that. And not some bizarre forsythia cross with another plant. No way!!

You're right, gardengal48. The stems are different, but they come from the same root. But the only way to know for sure is to dig it up! I don't know how a willow would have gotten there. Of course, strange things appear around here. I had a yucca come up where I never planted one! (I don't even grow yuccas)

Ken's guess at a some sort of willow catkin is pretty good.

==>>>my heart stopped for a minute gal ... lol ..

its the way a PW hold its bud along the stem that triggered my thought ... very poplar/illo like ....

you might try the botanists in the name that plant forum... they are wizards ...

ken

'Pussy willow' applies to various similar looking willows. One of them, Salix caprea, self sows very commonly and I think this is what has happened here. A Salix of some description has self sown at the base of the Forsythia. That's why it looks as if it is coming from the same root. A good look at the twigs and buds will show that they are different, besides the obvious difference between the willow catkins and the Forsythia flowers. If you want to keep the willow you'd need to gig it out and move it or the Forsythia. If you're not fussed about the willow cut id down and keep doing so until it gives up. If you leave them together as they are the willow will outgrow the Forsythia.

'Pussy willow' applies to various similar looking willows. One of them, Salix caprea, self sows very commonly and I think this is what has happened here. A Salix of some description has self sown at the base of the Forsythia. That's why it looks as if it is coming from the same root. A good look at the twigs and buds will show that they are different, besides the obvious difference between the willow catkins and the Forsythia flowers. If you want to keep the willow you'd need to gig it out and move it or the Forsythia. If you're not fussed about the willow cut id down and keep doing so until it gives up. If you leave them together as they are the willow will outgrow the Forsythia.

Thank you all for your help. I will take your advice, floral_uk, and cut the willow out. I don't want it.