Contorted hazelnut bushes go by many names, from “Harry Lauder’s strolling stick” to “corkscrew hazel” to “contorted filbert.” No matter its widespread title, Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ is distinctive with a gnarled and twisted kind. In late winter, pendulous yellow catkins cling from its curlicue branches, making a dramatic winter spectacle among the many naked stems.
Contorted filberts make extremely decorative mid-size shrubs. They’ve multiseason attraction with gentle inexperienced leaves, panicle catkins, and a dense kind with tangled spirals. They actually shine in winter, including curiosity to the quiet panorama after the leaves drop. Harry Lauder’s strolling stick is easy-care in its optimum rising situations and is extensively grown. Plant it the place you’re positive to note its particular form of twisted attraction.
Contorted Hazelnut Tree Overview
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What are Contorted Hazelnut Bushes?
Within the birch household, contorted hazelnut bushes stem from a sport of the mum or dad species, a nut-producing filbert with tasty fruits loved worldwide. Whereas ‘Contorta’ seldom produces nuts, its fantastical kind is the draw.
‘Contorta’ stood out in a southeastern English hedgerow in 1853 and was cultivated for its decoration. It grew to become extra well-known in mid-century America as a panorama specimen, particularly adaptable within the cooler finish of its rising zones.
Contorted filbert additionally goes by the recognizable moniker “Harry Lauder’s strolling stick” in reference to the famed Scottish singer, comic, and stage performer pre-World Battle II. As a part of his routine, he used a distorted strolling stick. Sir Harry Lauder (1870-1950) obtained a knighthood for his wartime fundraising efforts and for entertaining the troops.
Characteristic the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Backyard Benefit recipient in a mattress or container the place its seasonal curiosity is seen. The spiraled stems make wonderful accents in floral preparations and as lasting pure gildings.
Traits
Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ has curled, furry leaves and grey bark to accompany its twisted branches. Whereas the straight species spreads by means of suckers and might be invasive, ‘Contorta’ doesn’t expertise the identical aggressive unfold. It does generally tend to develop suckers that lack the curled kind, remedied by clipping these on the base.
Different C. avellana cultivars develop commercially for nut manufacturing – the filbert or hazelnut – and whereas the game ‘Contorta’ is self-fruitful, it seldom produces or yields only some nuts. Male catkins, pale yellow and measuring two inches lengthy, seem in pairs or threes from skinny stems in late winter to early spring. The showy shrubs produce a tangle of branches on rounded kinds, and every stem is normally lower than one inch in diameter.
Leaves emerge after the flowers and are oval-shaped, textural, and coarse with serrated margins. In gentle to medium inexperienced, they transition to a mellow brown-yellow within the fall earlier than dropping. Cultivars in crimson present maroon new development that matures to inexperienced in the summertime warmth.
Native Space
The mum or dad hazelnut species C. avellana is native to Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa. It has a variety of rising environments, from dense thickets to woodland borders and slopes, open clearings, and stream banks.
Planting
The cool situations of spring and fall are prime planting occasions for bushes and shrubs, with average temperatures and loads of seasonal moisture. The average seasons give contorted hazelnut bushes time to determine earlier than the temperature extremes of summer season and winter. However you possibly can plant the ornamentals any time of 12 months so long as soils are workable and even moisture is out there.
The twisty shrubs additionally make good patio specimens and develop in containers giant sufficient to accommodate their higher development and roots. They want loads of soil quantity and good drainage to match the peak and width. A 20 to 25-gallon container provides them room to develop, bumping them as much as bigger pots as they develop.
Tips on how to Develop
C avellana ‘Contorta’ is an adaptable specimen as soon as established. With common moisture, it turns into drought-tolerant as soon as established.
Gentle
Contorted filbert grows finest in full solar to partial shade, with not less than six hours of each day daylight. They carry out nicely in an open woodland edge planting, in a sunny border, or rain backyard.
In scorching climates, they profit from safety from direct afternoon rays to stop leaf scorch and to supply cooling results.
Water
‘Contorta’ prefers even moisture in the course of the rising season. An inch or so of water per week in the summertime is normally ample. Supply supplemental water throughout scorching, dry spells, particularly as younger shrubs set up.
Constant water and even moisture forestall stress and pest and illness issues. For these in containers, present drainage holes and a well-draining potting combine. Verify the soil moisture usually, as pots dry out extra rapidly than in-ground plantings.
Soil
A contorted hazelnut tree or shrub prefers organically wealthy, moist, well-drained soils. It adapts to varied varieties, together with barely alkaline, however received’t tolerate heavy clays. It advantages from compost amendments in poor compositions like sand or clay to reinforce soil richness, aeration, and moisture retention.
Whereas moisture is good, standing water or extended saturation might trigger root points and hinder development.
Temperature and Humidity
Corkscrew hazel exhibits probably the most vigor in climates with gentle summers and chilly winters. Excessive warmth may cause stress and hinder development. Guarantee common moisture or cooling afternoon shade in areas with scorching summers.
Add a layer of mulch for insulation and to manage soil temperature. In winter, it warms the roots whereas holding them cooler in summer season.
Fertilizing
Contorted hazelnuts rising in fertile soils don’t require extra fertilizers. Should you choose to provide a lift in leaner conditions, apply a balanced natural fertilizer within the spring (like 5-5-5) or fish emulsion, kelp, or alfalfa.
Keep away from overfertilizing, as an excessive amount of nitrogen results in stress and illness points. It additionally creates leafy, vigorous new development with weaker stems.
Upkeep
The decorative filberts want little ongoing upkeep. Prune away suckering offshoots to keep away from reversion and an absence of spiraling. Reduce away crossing, diseased, or dying branches as they develop.
Contorted hazelnuts are slow-growing bushes; observe the shape to prune over time for a well-branched construction and to handle measurement if wanted. Utilizing clear, sharp pruners, make cuts simply above a leaf node to advertise branching and regeneration.
Propagation
Harry Lauder’s strolling stick is usually grafted by business growers onto a sturdy rootstock, normally the American species C. americana. This implies the higher development differs from the mum or dad rootstock, making propagation troublesome at house.
Mound Layering
Stooling, or mounding, is a layering approach which will carry success. This includes extreme cutback of the stems to 1 inch above the soil floor throughout winter dormancy. When new shoots emerge within the spring, cowl them with a mound of soil as they develop. The shoots develop roots inside the mound over the rising season. Harvest the layers with roots intact in the course of the subsequent dormancy interval.
Well-liked Varieties
A couple of styles of contorted hazelnuts exist with various options, like leaf shade, for added curiosity.
‘Pink Dragon’
Corylus avellana ‘Pink Dragon’ is smaller than ‘Contorta’ and reaches 5 to 6 toes excessive over a decade of development. It additionally tolerates hotter situations, surviving as much as zone 9, and resists widespread European hazelnut ailments.
Essentially the most hanging distinction, although, is its burgundy foliage, significantly amongst new development. ‘Pink Dragon’ holds its purple tones all through summer season. Gentle crimson catkins emerge in late winter and early spring to punctuate the show. If one other choice is close by, crops might yield a number of nuts.
‘Pink Dragon’ is out of the College of Oregon breeding program. Oregon is among the high hazelnut producers within the U.S.
‘Pink Majestic’
Like ‘Pink Dragon,’ this choice exhibits wealthy foliage for a dramatic look among the many grey, twisting branches. New development is wealthy burgundy crimson amongst inexperienced shades of mature leaves in summer season.
In winter, catkins in dusky rose pink droop from the guidelines of stems. Like different grafted choices, shoots that emerge from the rootstock or revert from the purple tones ought to be minimize on the base.
Frequent Issues
Whereas contorted hazelnuts have few pest and illness points, there are particular fungal points and bugs that pose issues. Establishing the very best cultural situations is the very best line of protection, however some depend upon localized considerations.
Pests
Scales are widespread pests that pierce leaves and stems to feed on sap. They go away behind a sticky residue and little legless blobs on the undersides of leaves and stems. Scales look like black, grey, or silvery dots. Leaves might yellow and drop, with stems dying again in heavy infestations. Take away affected leaves (and branches, if extreme).
Japanese beetles in areas susceptible to them generally is a downside. They feed on leaves, inflicting them to skeletonize or flip yellow and drop. For small populations, hand-pick them off your crops as they feed. Deal with soil the place they’re identified to be energetic with two therapies of helpful nematodes spaced two weeks aside in temperate seasons.
For scale or beetles, spray the plant with a robust stream of water to discourage and knock bugs off the stems. Horticultural oils and insecticidal soaps rid the plant of bugs if an infestation happens, however you should definitely observe label instructions, as these have an effect on helpful bugs as nicely.
Ailments
Japanese filbert blight is a deadly fungal illness for contorted hazelnuts. The pathogen Anisogramma anomala causes cankers on new twigs that unfold over time. Branches and trunks develop the lifeless, sunken areas and lengthy, deep gouges. Whereas the harm is much less vital on the native American hazelnut, it’s lethal amongst European species and their cultivars as vitamins and moisture can’t attain higher development.
Take away any impacted components for those who suspect early phases of blight. Take away the complete shrub if the unfold continues. To stop the unfold of blight, examine within the winter to get a superb have a look at the branches. Illness-resistant cultivars like ‘Pink Dragon’ are good choices.
Leaf spot is a standard fungal an infection that grows on leaf surfaces. Brown, lifeless spots, spherical and patchy, improve in measurement and quantity and unfold throughout leaves and stems, inflicting them to blacken.
Early detection is the very best management for leaf spot. Reduce off diseased leaves and take away any that drop to keep away from overwintering for the following season. Destroy or discard the impacted components away from the backyard to stop unfold, holding them out of the compost pile. Sanitize pruners whereas shifting between crops. An alcohol wipe or a dip in a 70% isopropyl alcohol answer is useful whereas working.
Ample air circulation is the very best protection in opposition to leaf spot. Additionally, water on the floor degree quite than spraying the leaves to cut back damp situations. Add a mulch layer to cut back soil splash throughout watering (and for different advantages like insulation, weed suppression, and moisture retention). Prune surrounding crops the place applicable to extend air circulation.
Continuously Requested Questions
The distinctive shrubs are common for his or her twisted, curled stems however don’t usually produce the tasty nuts of their mum or dad species. Additionally they unfold much less aggressively. Whereas they might yield a number of nuts in a spherical husk, wildlife usually enjoys the pickings.
Corkscrew hazel makes an intriguing specimen within the blended planting, border, or container, particularly in winter when gnarled, naked branches turn out to be a focus. As a specimen shrub or small tree that reaches, on common, eight toes tall and broad, low-growing perennials and evergreens make good compliments.
Hardy geraniums (cranesbill), sedum, and juniper make good-looking counterparts and revel in the identical rising situations. Pair them with different winter bloomers like forsythia and witchhazel to increase the seasonal curiosity.