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Harry Lauder's Walking Stick
(Corylus avenella) 'Contorta'

Harry Lauder's Walking Stick A recent addition to the Arboretum's plant collections near Scarborough Creek below the Visitors Center is a shrub with highly contorted branches. Harry Lauder's Walking Stick (also known as Contorted Filbert or Corkscrew Hazel) is a cultivar of European Hazel and belongs to the same genus as American Hazelnut and Beaked Hazel, both of which can be found in Tennessee. A larger specimen of Harry Lauder's Walking Stick has been growing for many years with the Arboretum's Dwarf and Unusual Conifer Collection.

Harry Lauder's Walking Stick This cultivar is named after a famous Scottish comedian and singer who used a crooked cane as a prop during his performances in the late 1800's and early 1900's. He traveled widely and was knighted in 1919 by King George V for his many contributions to the war effort during World War I. He continued supporting the troops during World War II. The curling, twisted branches are most conspicuous during the winter after leaf fall.

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University of Tennessee - Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center
901 South Illinois Avenue, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830 · Telephone: 865-483-3571 · Email: UTforest@utk.edu