Walking Stick Tree - Contorted Winter Interest - January 2026

Planted in the Summer of 2020, this Harry Lauder Walking Stick Tree sits in the back part of the garden in a tucked-away spot, but when you see it when it is bare and dormant, it provides A LOT of winter interest.  

It is described as 'contorted' and that's certainly the case with this small tree that I spotted on my way back to the compost pile this weekend.  When I snapped this photo (below), I muttered to myself:  "this tree has hardly grown.  How long has it been here?"

[Sidenote:  I wrote about Contorted Trees at Disneyland Paris here that's worth checking out.  That was the inspiration for buying and planting this tree in our garden.]

The answer to the second part is:  This year will mark its seventh (7th) growing season ('20, '21, '22, '23, '24, '25, '26).  That's far longer than I thought.  

As for the second part;  has it grown?  Let's look.  Here, below, is what it looks like currently:

Looking back at the original planting photos... It *has* grown.  A lot?  Not really.  But, it has tripled in size (or there-abouts).    What else has changed is how this was planted in a brand new finger-shaped bed.  There was SO MUCH TURF back then.  

For our garden, I'd describe this as 'slow-growing', but thanks to some rabbit damage over the years, I think it was stunted a few Winters.  I love having this specimen in the garden and think that over the years, it will fill in this spot nicely.  Would I plant it here again?  I'm not sure.  But, it's where it belongs - for me.