Harry Lauder's Walking Stick

I couldn't help but purchase a HLWS yesterday while shopping at Home Depot. (75% off!)
It's about 3 feet tall.

The leaves are all dead and most have fallen. I was going to plant it tomorrow and noticed little green buds growing from the branches. Is this poor guy confused? I read somewhere that it can be grown inside. I don't know which way to go - Should I plant it outside just in time for the green buds to get frozen? Or should I bring it inside see if it starts growing leaves? Do these trees need a dormant period to grow successfully?

I love it and don't want to lose it!

It needs a dormant period - plant it outside. The buds are naturally greenish; as long as they're tightly closed, they'll be OK.

Resin

Thank you Resin for clarifying that for me. Will the buds stay green all winter and open in the spring or should I expect them to fall off and regrow when the warmth returns?

They'll stay green all winter, and open in the spring. That is on the assumption they are tightly closed, not starting to open, at the moment.

Resin

They are tightly closed so that's good news for me!

It's only 7am here and barely light out but once it gets a little later I'm heading out to get it in the ground. I've decided to put it in the front of my house because I hear it adds beautiful interest in the winter months and God knows we need it during that looooong period!

Keep in mind that HLWS leaves something to be desired during the summer months when the plant is in-leaf. The leaves are contorted, too, so the plant always looks like it's wilted. A lot of bugs love to munch the leaves, as well, so the leaves end up full of holes. If you have Japanese beetles, JB LOVE this plant, and will skeletonize the leaves in no time. For this reason, I would not give the plant a front-and-center position in the landscape.

I made the mistake of planting my HLWS right outside my back door and I wish I had not put the plant there. During the winter the contorted branches and catkins are ornamental, but during the winter the plant is covered with quite a bit of snow so a good portion of the plant is not visible.
Just my .02
Mike

Thank you for this thread. I have the same tree. I planted mine amongst other shrubbery in the backyard where I can see the contortion show this winter. I, too, was wondering about the buds. But as they were outside all summer at HD, I figured they were normal. Good to have some conformation.

75% off was too much to pass up!

This message was edited Nov 6, 2008 3:36 PM

Wow I can never find something that good at my local HD.

I've got one foot out the door to go get the two I left behind! I also picked up some holly berry bushes (I think I paid 1.77 each!) and a few others that I just couldn't resist especially at that discounted price.

After reading the information above, I'm thinking I planted the HLWS in the wrong place. It is right out in front of the house . . . and I'm already loving the twisty twirly branches to look at as I walk by. BUT I get Japenese Beetles around here big time and wouldn't want to watch them eat the leaves away next summer. Guess I'll walk around the property this weekend and consider moving it. The input is wonderful and saves alot of us time and aggravation in the future.

That's why Dave's is here! LOL

Did you get the other two?

Thank God for Dave's Garden! I've learned so much from other gardeners I don't know how else that could have been done in such a one stop shop!

Didn't make it to get the other two HLWS yesterday but am going there tonight. I'm hoping they are still sitting there. I really don't have the extra $ to spend but can't resist these deals. It's hard to be motivated to plant when everything is dead but I know the rewards when spring rolls around.

How big is yours and how long have you had it?

I just got mine a couple of weeks ago. Here's a pic. I put mine in the ground last weekend.

Please also remember that the plants that you are buying are probably grafted onto normal Corylus understock and the understock will want to send up normal, straight branches. You need to make sure that you prune out these straight branches as they appear or they will take over and you will lose the contorted growth.

When you are planting, check the roots of your plant, if the plant has contorted roots then it is a plant on its own roots (a rooted cutting) and you don't need to worry about the normal growth appearing. If the roots are not contorted, then you do.
Mike

Thanks, treelover. I'll keep that in mind. I didn't look at the roots too closely. I just loosened them a little.

kwanjin, your tree has alot more leaves than mine! I think there were three left on it! Thanks for sharing the pic. It looks to be about the same size as mine.

Thanks for the advice on the roots treelover3. I never would have known that!

Should I dig it up and look or leave it and watch?

Leave and watch, unless you've definitely decided you want to move it somewhere else. Once planted, the less root disturbance it gets, the better!

Resin

Mike, I'm just a few hours south of you and have not had any problems with Japanese beetles eating my HLWST. I did plant it "front and center" in May 2007 when my front yard was quite bare and have a lot planted around it now. It looks great in winter and summer. I probably would not plant another one front and center, but this one is fine where it is for now. It only grew a few inches this year, has not had any problems with bugs and looks nice surrounded by dwarf & mini conifers, daylilies and a few kinds of echinacea. If it gets unruly (it is grafted not grown on its own root stock) or infested I will dig it out, I'm not overly attached to it.

Elizabeth

Hello,

does anybody know whether this plant can grow in North Texas, zone 7? My summer is very, very hot, between 100-115 mostly. I bought 2 plants in 7Gal pots, but both of them perished. They were still in their own pots, getting morning sun, and protected rest of the day. Would very much like to try again, if possible.

Thanks for any advice,

Sita
Lone Oak, TX- z7b

Hi Elizabeth,
I've been to Iowa City a number of times. My mom's cousin lived in Iowa City for over 40 years and just passed away in 2006. It's a very nice city and I could live there very easily.

I don't have Japanese Beetles where I live, but when I visited Rotary Gardens in Janesville, WI, last fall, their HLWS was covered with JB and was heavily damaged. I do like my HLWS, but wish I had not put it front and center. It is also getting much larger than I had anticipated. My plant is on its own roots (even the roots are contorted) so I don't have to deal with any sucker growth from the understock. Many of the plants I have in the ground were put in the ground as a trial and under the assumption that the plant would fail (I like to push the zone limits), but many of those "trial" plants have done VERY well and so I have a number of plants planted much too close together. (:o( I will probably take the pruners to the HLWS to trim it back to a more reasonable size.

I was on a garden tour with the Rock Garden Society and one of our members has a HLWS that is 6' tall by at least 12' wide. The plant is huge! I had no idea the plant could get so large.
Mike
edited to correct spelling


This message was edited Nov 11, 2008 11:46 AM

It can get really large! Two of my neighbors have HLWS trees - one is about 2' tall and grows barely an inch a year. The other neighbor has one that is just huge - about 10' high and 15' wide. The big one is an older specimen, probaby 20 years old. I have to admit, I just don't think they look great when they grow beyond a few feet wide and tall. The growth on mine appears to be in check, but if it gets out of control I would have no problem pulling out the shears!

Elizabeth

I must say that my HLWS's are regularly attacked by japanese beetles.
Sometimes the leaves are reduced to the finest Belgian lace.
But, sad to say, I'm not that fussy a gardener to be too worried about it.
Of course, when I see the beetles chomping away, I vow to go RIGHT NOW to get the trap.
But, you know, there seem to be about a million other things also commanding my attention in the yard at any given time. Catastrophes lurk everywhere. Or potential catastrophes.
Sadly, my attention is easily diverted to the next crisis, so I never get around to the JB traps.
Or worse, I buy a bunch of traps, and never get around to putting them up.
Yet, amazingly, my HLWS continues to look great the rest of the year.
So, I'm not too stressed out about it.
It remains one of my favorite plants, just for it's structural weirdness.

I have had great results using Bayer 12-Month Tree and Shrub Systemic on HLWS, 'Snow Fountains' weeping cherry, and a few other "beetle bait' shrubs and trees. You can probably find this systemic on sale now, and plan to use it early next spring. I'm not fond of using any chemicals, but Japanese beetles can really reduce a favorite tree/shrub to shreds in just days, so...

The 12-month systemic is very easy to apply as you mix it up and pour it right at the base of the tree trunk or main stem of the shrub. Once per year does it.

Also, many garden centers are stocking HLWS that are NOT grafted, but rather on their own roots. If your is so, you're lucky as those suckers can be a real pain!

Good luck.

Will watch closely for bugs. I haven't seen any really bad ones in my yard. Yet. ☺

This message was edited Dec 16, 2008 10:04 AM

How is your plant coming along?

This is why I planted mine.

I should be able to get a good picture of mine with snow later today - it is currently snowing and we're expecting a total of around six inches.

Left hand corner, it is a really neat winter interest plant.

i have both the red majestic and normal green HLWS and can confirm that JB love them as do the deer. both of mine were purchased at HD and do have straight suckers that if left alone grow very fast.
i ended up moving both of them from the original spots picked out with no problems.

The foliage on the 'Red Majestic' cultivar would offset the unattractiveness of regular HLWS in the summer. I wouldn't mind trying it this year if I can find it. wha: next summer could you post a pic of yours, unless you already have one now?

i'll have to check it out hg. if not i'll post - home depot seems to always carry these although one with "real" roots would be better.

Hoosier, do you really think HLWS is ugly in summer? I kind of like it, but mine has not been eaten by bugs in either of the past two summers I've had it. My HLWS is grafted, so if it start to send up suckers it is out of there.

Well, it's difficult to call any plant "ugly" if it's in a good location I suppose. Unfortunately, mine was too close to a dwarf Japanese maple that just made the HLWS look like a wilted cabbage. The winter interest is great though. I got tired of pruning the suckers. I saw a HLWS trained on a standard last summer. That's one I might try if I can get one on sale. Even in the summer, the contorted head of foliage looked interesting on a 5' standard. I do have to treat for Japanese beetles with the 12-month drench as the beetles in this area have been pretty bad except for '08 when the very wet spring drowned most of the grubs. (Entomologists think it might take up to three years for the populations to build up again... yeah!)

HG the majestic looks better than the green hlws - i agree that wilted cabbage is a god description.

Hoosier, parden my ignorance, but what's the 12-month drench?
I also have annoying JB infestions and they certainly enjoy feasting on my HLWS.
How well does it work?

There's a relatively new Bayer product (the pesticide company, not the aspirin guys) called 12-Month Shrub and Tree Insect Systemic. It comes in a 32 oz. blue plastic bottle and you can find it anywhere, including (the cheapest) at WalMart. Last year, it was under $20 and a little goes a long way. For trees, you measure the circumference of the trunk(s) and mix the same number of ounces in a gallon of water (6" circumference = 6 oz. of insecticide to mix with water, etc.). Then, you pour it at the base of the tree (not spread around like most systemics). It's good for a full year. I hate to use insecticides, but gave in to save a cistena plum, weeping birch, the HLWS, and a 'Snow Fountains' weeping cherry which were all major beetle bait. It works wonderfully! For shrubs, you measure the height and multiply by 3 to get the total ounces (Which is a little strange since a 10' tree with an 8" circumference needs only 8 oz. while a 4' shrub needs 12 oz. but...?) You need to apply it a few weeks before you expect the beetles, which in the Midwest would be around the end of May, but you can put it on any time in the spring, which I did.

Be sure you get the 12-month systemic, as they make different systemics. Also, there's a formulation that includes fertilizer, but it's so much more that I didn't get it and just did my usual fertilization routine.

HG - the jb's love hardy hibiscus too - how does it kill them - they take a bite and die?

Yep. I tore out three large Rose of Sharon before discovering the Bayer systemic. I'm tempted to replant now. I first heard of this insecticide two years ago when I was working on a property nextdoor to a gardener who has a pristine purple sand cherry in August, while others in the area were French lace. Luckily, he was out mowing so I asked him what he did (there were no big white blotches on the foliage indicating spraying with Sevin, the usual practice). He showed me the bottle of Bayer and how he used it. Convinced me! Last spring was the first time I used it, with great results. Like I said earlier, I hate using any chemicals (I even have a very large organic garden, and compost year-round), but I was at wit's end with Japanese beetles. Mea culpa!

rose of sharon and wisteria is another they love - i have been using another bayer product that you need to spray every week or so in beetle season - they got the hibiscus before i noticed. I will convert - thx

btw - use to work for a bayer subsidy and they use to be the aspirin guys - until WW2 - and i think about 10 years ago they bought them back from a Kodak subsidy. German chemical company which they pronounce as bYer. trivia no one probably needed......

I think imidacloprid is the active ingredient in the pesticide product mentioned above. Note that this substance doesn't know which insects it is exterminating. And no, I'm no fan of JBs either. I am a fan of the beneficial and local insects, though, since they support pollination and the wildlife that depend on their lifecycles for food. A 12-month formula is pretty much guaranteed to get everything associated with the plant, no matter when the insect comes to visit.

There is research being done, so this is not a statement of fact - yet - but there is a high level of suspicion that this kind of systemic chemical is playing a role (major?) in the sudden loss of honeybees. It will certainly also affect any other native insect that consumes plant parts of trees/shrubs/whatever that have been treated with this kind of chemical.

Beware the unintended consequence of the howitzer, when (maybe) a BB gun will do.

Take a gander at this entomologist, author, and speaker; he's doing some good work to make gardeners think about things differently. His book Bringing Nature Home should be a "must read".

http://copland.udel.edu/~dtallamy/
http://bringingnaturehome.net/

good points VV - maybe i'll stick with the bb gun. i still have a lot of honey bee's here and would hate to see them go.

here is my green hlws from last june