Walking Stick Tree Care

How to grow harry lauder s walking stick the shrub is normally planted from balled and burlapped specimens or potted plants in fall or spring.

Walking stick tree care.

It is also a good plant that tolerates both high heat and wind locations. Noteworthy characteristicsexcellent specimen tree. Care grows best in organically rich well drained soils. Use shoots in floral arrangements.

Botanically known as corylus avellana contorta harry lauder s walking stick is one of the most interesting interesting plants you can put in your landscape and probably one of the least understood. Water deeply and regularly during the first few growing seasons to establish an extensive root system. Step 2 cut any broken cracked clearly diseased or clearly dead limbs or branches back to a point of healthy wood. If your plant has this condition you need to prune out any infected wood and make sure you cut all the way back into healthy wood that is not infected.

A newer cultivar red majestic bears burgundy colored new growth so it has greater summer appeal. The majority of harry lauder s walking sticks available at nurseries are grafted plants and require some special care. Learn how to propagate harry lauder s walking stick here. As often happens with grafted plants there is a tendency for suckers to shoot up from the rootstock.

This wonderful plant with it s array of twisted and contorted branches will happily grow in zones 4 through 8 and is one of the few plants that really has no serious disease or insect pest problems. Most interesting of all its triply compound leaves are the largest leaves of any temperate tree in the continental united states. Trim the lower parts of the walking stick tree to remove excess growth and expose the twisted branches in the main part of the plant. Pruning and propagation of contorted filberts.

It grows well in full sun to part shade. Harry lauder s walkingstick does not tolerate poorly drained or wet soils this plant would rather be in too dry than too wet of a location. Water quite frequently in the first few years after planting to help the shrub establish a strong root system. Ideal for alkaline soils.

Place cuts just beyond a healthy lateral branch or leaf node. It is best planted as a specimen small tree or large shrub as it is a piece of art on its own. You can water less frequently once plants are mature. The devil s walking stick is a medium sized tree capable of reaching heights of over 30 feet 10 m.

Prune your lauder s walking stick tree in the the early spring after all the fruits have been cleared off by animals for winter forage but before new growth is visible. If possible purchase trees grown on their own roots to avoid rootstock suckers. This tree is slow growing so don t cut too much especially. Reduce frequency once established.