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CLUBS & GROUPS | FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | AUGUST 2014 37 It's time for an article with a twist — two of them, in fact. Curly willow or corkscrew willow grows unusually shaped branches as does Harry Lauder's Walking Stick. The branches of these shrubs are frequently used in arrangements offsetting or complementing perfectly shaped blossoms. A particularly popular cultivar (in the plant world human induced cultivation of specific varieties are called cultivars) is Salix matsudana 'Tortuosa,' the "Corkscrew willow" (also known as the Hankow willow, curly willow, dragon's claw, or globe willow), in which the branches and twigs grow in a spiral, twisting manner. As a result of the ornamental shape of the branches and twigs, this cultivar is commonly used for floral arrangements. However, this cultivar is susceptible to cankers, is weak-wooded and prone to storm damage. Cultivars that have been selected to resist this include "Golden Curls," "Scarlet Curls" and "Navajo." This twisting variety grows in many climates and soil conditions. Ideal locations for this type of tree include the coastal states and the south-central states. The central area of the northern United States experiences temperatures too cold for the curly willow tree. Curly willow trees reach a height between 25 and 35 feet at maturity. These upright willows spread to a width of approximately 17 feet. These members of the Salicaceae family grow rapidly in favorable climates and soil conditions. Harry Lauder's walking stick is another twister. It may be classified as a deciduous shrub, produced by grafting. Because the rootstock of the graft provides a 4'-high trunk, it is commonly referred to as a dwarf tree. This shrub reaches a height of 8'-10', with a similar spread. The flowers of Harry Lauder's walking stick are yellowish- brown "catkins," as on pussy willows. Blooms appear in early to middle spring. However, this shrub is not grown primarily for its blooms but for its unusual branching pattern, which is indicated by its other common names: corkscrew filbert and contorted hazelnut. Suckers often shoot up from the rootstock and must be pruned off so the plant does not revert to characteristics of its rootstock. According to Adele Kleine of "Flower and Garden Magazine," the shrub's "appealing common name derives from the old Scottish comedian Harry Lauder who performed using a crooked branch as a cane." Harry Lauder's walking stick is a case in which one may rightly claim that a deciduous shrub truly comes into its own only once its leaves have fallen. Not that the shrub isn't attractive when fully leafed out. But the eye is especially drawn to this curious specimen in winter, when many other deciduous trees and shrubs are little better than sad reminders of a defunct fall and summer. ~ Leonard Tavernetti Beaumont Blooms Clockwise from Top L: Curly Willow trellis; Curly Willow floral arrangement; Catkins or "flowers" of Harry Lauder's tree; Harry Lauder's tree

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