Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick

Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 4a-8b Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Deciduous Flowering Shrub or Small Tree

Height at Maturity: 8-10′, maybe a little taller over time

Width at Maturity: 6-8′

Growth Habit / Form: Bushy, Upright

Growth Rate: Moderate

Flower Color: Yellow, Light Yellow, Bronze

Flower Size: Medium, 1/4″ wide x 1-2″ long

Flowering Period: Late Winter, Early Spring

Flower Type: Catkin

Fragrant Flowers: N0

Foliage Color: Dark Green, Bronze

Fragrant Foliage: No

Sun Needs: Full Sun or Mostly Sun, Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, Morning Shade with Evening Sun

Water Needs: Average, Low when established

Soil Type: Clay (Amended), Loam, Sand, Silt

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained

Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.5 (Slighty Acidic to Slightly Alkaline)

Maintenance / Care: Very Low when left in it’s natural form

Attracts: Birds, Visual Attention

Resistances: Deer, Disease, Heat, Insect (Excluding Japanese Beetles), Filbert Blight

Description

With its twisted, corkscrew branches and stems, Contorted Filbert, also known as Henry or Harry Lauder Walking Stick, is guaranteed to draw attention in the garden. The branches of this large shrub or small tree to 8 to 10 feet tall and wide are especially attractive in the landscape during winter, when there are no leaves on the plant. Before new leaves emerge in spring interesting and colorful yellow catkins hang in clusters from the tips of stems. The obovate leaves feature double toothed margins and are green for most of the growing season turning yellow in the fall. Branches can be cut for use as an accent in indoor floral arrangements. Contorted Filbert is a must have for the gardener that enjoys unique and interesting plants!

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing 8 to 10 feet tall and wide, and maybe a little larger over time, the Henry Lauder Walking Stick Contorted Filbert is perfect for use as a focal point specimen in landscape borders and home foundation plantings. It can be grown as a large shrub or lower branches can be removed to form an attractive small tree. It can also be grown in pots, planters and other containers and situated on a patio, deck or around other outdoor living spaces. A fine addition to an Asian gardens, gothic gardens, and rock gardens.

Growing Preferences

Contorted Filbert prefers a moist but well drained slightly acid to slightly alkaline soil and full sun to part shade. When planting in heavy clay soil it’s a good idea to amend the native soil at a 50/50 ration with a sandy, bagged top soil to ensure good drainage. We suggest a minimum of 4 hours direct sunlight per day during spring, summer and fall.

Note: Find helpful advice from our experts under the Planting & Care tab above on desktop monitors or below on mobile devices.

Plant Long & Prosper!

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I was delighted with the plant and the shipping method. There was no damage whatsoever no soil disturbed. Although I am several zones further north any time I can order from your nursery I will do it. Thank you very much for your prompt service and the care you took in shipping.. If you had six stars I would select that.———————————————————You’re very welcome! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy your purchase for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Our tree arrived in beautiful shape and it is now thriving in our yard! Thank you for providing such great care in preparing and shipping of our tree. You guys rock!————————————————-Thanks for the photo! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I ordered this Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick on a Monday and it was delivered by FedEx on Friday. It was extremely well packaged and made the 450 mile journey without any damage. The plant was healthy upon arrival and is still looking good some three weeks after transplanting. I am very happy with the plant and the service received from Wilson Bros Gardens.———————————————–Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Since I couldn’t find a Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick tree anywhere in my area, resorted to the Internet and picked Wilson Bros based on their easy to navigate web site and the ability to send a message, which I did and they responded within 24 hours. Since I am in SC and they are in GA the plant materials should be happy in either place. I loved the quality of their plants and the description. When my package arrived it was amazing. The Tree was packaged so well there was not one broken piece anywhere on the fragile little limbs. It was planted immediately and is growing and leafing out even more in just 2 weeks. I was so pleased I told my daughter about the site and she has ordered and planted a larger tree in her front yard. These people are the best. You cannot go wrong with the quality of their plants, the prices, manner of shipping and packaging and how well the item looks & grows in your garden.—————————————————-Wow! Thanks so much for the photos! Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Great plant..Super fast delivery… excellent packaging—————————————————-Thanks for the awesome review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Arrived in excellent condition, good size, lovely shape. Just planted, will check back at the end of the season.——————————————————————Thanks so much for your review. Let us know if there’s ever anything we can help you with. 🙂 – Beth | WBG

The item as described and pictured arrived very quickly. It was very carefully boxed!
The tree was healthy and planted immediately following instructions. It was a very positive transaction.————————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

We received “Harry” in perfect condition, very securely boxed, and surprisingly not wilted at all, from Georgia all the way to Pennsylvania!! We followed the planting instructions, and “he” is looking great in our back yard! Thank you Wilson Bros team for your attention to detail in every aspect of this purchase, from your informative website, to your protective packaging and shipping, and finally your great communication and follow-up! I also should mention the variety of available plants you carry… impressive!! We’re very pleased and would definitely recommend Wilson Bros again and again!!———————————————————-Wow!! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 It’s a very cool plant! Beth Steele | WBG

It arrived in wonderful condition. Carefully packed too. Thank you so much Wilson Bros Garden. I was looking for this lovely tree for a long time. The contorted lines will create majestic movements to my ikebana arrangement. It’s not big enough to trim the branches yet, so I will take a good care of it till it grows to the giant size. ^-^————————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Plant arrived on time and was in excellent condition.———————————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I purchased this tree as a memorial. They were so hard to find. When I found one from Wilson Brothers I thought I placed the order. I called their store to confirm. The woman I spoke with was amazing. So helpful and so nice. I inadvertently did not place the order. So I resubmitted my order, and waited. The tree showed up within a week. It was incredibly healthy and very well packed. I planted it that day. It’s still beautiful and healthy. I would highly recommend ordering from this nursery. Thank you guys!————————————————————-We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the kind words and great review! Beth | WBG 🙂

I’m happy to report that the walking stick seems to be doing well. I was somewhat apprehensive when the plant arrived without any leaves on it, but as you can see it looks good now and I hope it will be the star plant for many years.———————————————————-Thanks for the photo! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Hello,
We received our Harry Lauder’s Walking stick today and I’m happy to report that it survived the trip exceptionally well. Thank you selling your stock on line and for the fast shipping.
This is a hard to find plant. We had one a few years ago and it was struck by lighting. We are so very happy to have this special plant back in our yard.
Sincerely————————————————Wow! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I was very skeptical about ordering a plant on line, especially an expensive one like Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick – Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ – 5 Gallon Pot. The only reason I went ahead and ordered it was first, because I couldn’t find one locally and secondly, your company strongly reassured me that you stood behind your product and promise that the plant would be replaced or I would be reimbursed if I wasn’t satisfied. The plant arrived in excellent condition looking extremely healthy with new growth. We’ve planted it and it continues to look healthy. So, I would not hesitate to order from you again in the future.————————————–We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂

My tree was shipped fast and in great condition. It was packaged very nicely and no damage.——————————————-We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂

We have always had a Harry Lauders at every home we have lived, so we were happy to have found the plant available through Wilson Bros! The plant arrived in perfect condition, as guaranteed, and is thriving wonderfully in it’s new home in Florida! Wouldn’t hesitate to purchase from you in the future!——————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

My Walking Stick was purchased in memory of a beloved friend so it was important that it be healthy and large. I was not disappointed .Harry arrived quickly, well packaged and ready to plant. He is happy in a container on my courtyard in our new house. Customer service was knowledgeable, friendly, and prompt.—————————————-We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the kind words and great review! Beth | WBG 🙂

I googled Henry Lauder Walking Stick and found Wilson Brothers garden. Bought the 5 gal plant and it arrived well packed and it good shape. Got it planted and now waiting for it to grow! It is only about 18” tall but could grow to 8’ so it looks rather odd in its space but I am anxious to see it in a couple of years. Hoping to use it in flower arrangements.——————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂

The Walking Stick is a hard to find plant and after searching we were fortunate to purchase one from Wilson Bros. The plant was unbelievably packed and arrived in perfect condition! Will definitely order from them again!————————————-Thanks for the kind words!! We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂

Plants arrived wonderfully packed. The azaleas look great… the Harry Lauder Walking Stick….looks like it might do fine (it’s in the ground and I am waiting for it to leaf out).—————————–We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂

The tree arrived well packed and appears healthy, although I need to wait a year to see with transplanting it and all. The interactions with the company have be thus far good and was happy with the prompt service and regular communication. I would definitely consider working with them again.—————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

My 20 year old -CONTORTED-FILBERT-HARRY-LAUDER-Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick – Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ – was crushed when.I had some trees cut and I found its replacement at Wilson Brothers. They had the perfect size for my needs and the plant although a large 5 gallon one was shipped in excellent condition and at the correct planting time. Their on line ordering was way to use and saved me the long drive to their location.——————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Thank you so much for the fast shipping – “Harry” arrived this a.m. and he’s happily (I think) planted and ready to sleep until next Spring! I’m very pleased with my bush….and promise to give it a good home.———————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy ‘Harry’ for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I recently purchased a 5 gallon Contorted Filbert for my birthday.. I eagerly followed its trip from Georgia to Minnesota. I was delighted when I saw my plant. It could easily have been used in a photo as a specimen plant in a garden catalogue. It arrived in perfect condition. I needed to delay planting a bit longer than I’d planned, but I kept it well watered and fed. It has now found its permanent spot in my back yard, and I could not be more pleased.
I know someone who lived in Georgia for a few years, and he told me that Wilson Bros. has an excellent regional reputation. Based on the quality of the plant I received, I can say that that assessment seems completely deserved. In a word, I am delighted with my purchase. Happening upon the Wilson Bros. website was a stroke of great luck.. I will be checking out the website on a regular basis in the future.—————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks so much for the awesome review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

When my contorted filbert arrived, I could hardly wait to open the shipping box [my plant was perfectly packaged too]. I couldn’t have been happier with my choice! I opted to purchase the filbert in the 5 gallon size and was amazed at it’s shape. We have a berm in our backyard which was in need of a focal point as well as something a little more out of the ordinary for a Midwest landscape. Plus, we selected this since it is deer resistant … we have deer crossing our landscape year round so this was a perfect option for us. The berm has good light for the filbert and there is already substantial growth on several of the branches. I heartily endorse Wilson Bros Gardens and the quality of the plants they select, nurture and ship. My landscape is so much more interesting because of Brent and Brooks Wilson.————————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks so much for the awesome review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Great Tree, better than I expected .
Fast shipping
Everything with my order was perfect.———————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

We are so thrilled with our Harry Lauder, whom we have named Harry Potter. He arrived in perfect condition, green as green could be! We planted him within a day or two and he has done nothing but flourish since. I had looked at our local nurseries and numerous online nurseries for a long time before finally finding that you had one in stock……….I’ve wanted a Harry for many years and am crossing this off my bucket list. Thank you and God Bless.
Shirley———————————————–Thanks for the great review! We are so glad you are pleased! Beth | WBG 🙂

I was happy to find that Wilson Bros Garden carried the Harry Lauders Walking Stick. Not many nurseries do. I purchased the 5 gallon plant as it was the only one available at the time. It was shipped in late winter, packaged well with no visible damage.. We planted it about 2 days after it arrived. It is now late spring and the plant is doing well. I keep thinking it needs water because the leaves look wilted, but I realize now that that is just the look of the plant. So far so good!—————————-We are so glad you are pleased! Beth | WBG