Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Corylus avellana 'Contorta'
Harry Lauder's Walking Stick
- Family
- Betulaceae
- Height
- 8 to 10 feet
- Width
- 8 to 10 feet
- Flower color
- Yellow brown drooping catkins on male plants with small red female flowers
- Foliage color
- Medium green broadly rounded leaves often turning yellow in fall
- Bloom time
- Late winter to early spring
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade
- Water
- Average
- Maintenance
- Moderate; remove straight suckering shoots from the base to maintain the contorted branching structure and prune lightly in late winter if shaping is needed
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 4 to 8
- Wildlife
- Bees that collect pollen from catkins and birds and small mammals that feed on the nuts
About this plant
Corylus avellana 'Contorta' produces long, pendulous yellow catkins in late winter to early spring, hanging prominently from bare branches before the foliage emerges. Broad, heart-shaped green leaves have toothed margins and an irregularly curled, crumpled appearance, turning yellow in autumn before falling. Twisted stems and spiraling branches create an intricate sculptural framework that becomes especially prominent during winter, providing exceptional interest throughout the dormant season.
Discovered as a spontaneous mutation in an English hedgerow in 1863, this distinctive cultivar later became associated with Scottish entertainer Harry Lauder and his crooked walking stick. Its architectural branching makes it especially effective as a specimen in mixed borders, cottage gardens, winter gardens, and prominent landscape locations where its contorted silhouette can be appreciated year-round.
Works well in
Sun Gardens · Specimen Plants · Winter Interest · Wildlife Gardens
Companion plants
Hebe · Flowering quince · Crocus · Matilija poppy · Mallow · Sweet William
Design tip
Twisting branches give this shrub its strongest visual character once the leaves have fallen, transforming the bare framework into winter sculpture. An open position near a path or patio allows the intricate branching and dangling catkins to be appreciated up close during the quieter months.
