‘Contorta’, commonly called contorted filbert, corkscrew hazel or Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick, is a contorted version of the species plant. It was discovered growing as a sport in an English hedgerow in the mid-1800s by Victorian gardener Canon Ellacombe.

Harry Lauder's Walking Stick, Corkscrew Hazel, Contorted Filbert. Noted for its beautifully contorted and twisted branches, Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ (Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick) is a deciduous shrub of great beauty.

Corylus avellana 'Contorta' is a small hazel with contorted stems that stand out in winter against the clear blue sky. From late winter it bears golden-yellow catkins, before fresh green, twisted leaves appear.

corkscrew hazel. Large deciduous shrub about 6m tall, with strongly twisted branches bearing broadly heart-shaped, slightly twisted and contorted, mid-green toothed leaves, turning yellow in autumn, and pendent yellow male catkins in late winter and early spring followed by brownish fruits in late summer

The corkscrew hazel often goes unnoticed during the summer with its nondescript leaves, bulky shape and lack of pretty flowers. It’s when the leaves are shed, this contorted and tortured shrub grabs everyone’s attention with its intricately intertwined crooked and twisted branches.

The contorted branches, crumpled-looking leaves and yellow spring catkins give this tree year-round appeal. The fruit is an edible nut enjoyed by wildlife. 'Contorta' prefers full sun to part shade in organically rich moist, well-drained soils. it is drought tolerant once established.

My Contorted Filbert (Harry Lauder's Walking Stick) is my favorite specimen. This can be purchased grafted as a tree, or left as a shrub....Read More

Preeminent for winter interest, the Contorted Hazel, or ‘Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick’ all add up to the same beautifully twisted, gnarled branches standing out in the bleak wintertime views. All of these common names refer to one tree, “ Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ “.

Plant database entry for Corkscrew Hazel (Corylus avellana 'Contorta') with 66 images, 4 comments, and 24 data details.

Deciduous shrub/tree, 8-10 ft (2.5-3 m), stems curled and twisted as are the leaves. Grafted on to a species rootstock, often the American filbert, C. americana. Hardy to USDA Zone 4 Discovered in 1863 in a hedgerow in England.