Contorted Filbert

(April 2012)

I have a Harry Lauder Walking Stick Tree that is approx. 15 years old. It started putting up suckers and I have continued to remove them. The suckers keep returning, more each year and larger. I am thinking about cutting it down at this point unless there is a solution to eliminate the problem since it is getting more difficult to cut off the suckers. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Most Harry Lauder Walking Sticks or contorted filberts are grafted onto a common filbert rootstock, so suckering is a common complaint. Other than pruning, there isn’t much you can do about them. I love the look of the twisted, gnarled branches, so I would continue to prune out suckers. If you really can’t take it, they do now sell Harry Lauder Walking Sticks that are not grafted, but grown on their own root stocks, and they will not sucker.

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