Harry Lauder?s Walking Stick or Corylus Avellana to give it its proper name, is a plant that I have never seen, but heard of once before. The strange twisted growth shape clearly appeals to some people since it has been described as “one of the most interesting plants you can put in your landscape, and probably one of the least understood”. This comes from an article by Duston McGroarty which I found on the Backyard Growers website.

If you?re familiar with Harry Lauder?s Walking Stick you know what an interesting and sometimes seemingly bazaar plant it is. But have you ever seen one grown single stem as an ornamental tree?
Harry Lauder?s is truly a plant lovers plant and every garden should have one. I like to train them into single stem trees because with the twisted branches and the twisted stem they make for one of the most interesting pieces you can have in your garden.
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.

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.
The biggest problem with these plants to date is the amount of suckering that grows up from the root stock. However, today through means of creative propagation more and more of these plants are being grown on their own roots, and this completely solves the problem of undesirable suckers.

See more at Backyard Growers
Image source: Kris Miller