I transplanted a fairly large one two years ago that had been given to me out of someone's yard. It hasn't grown, but is healthy and doing well in part sun/part shade. I think they might just be slow growers or take their time establishing their roots. I've had other shrubs that did pretty much the same, then abruptly started putting on mass. If it's healthy it's probably okay.

Most of the time when plants leaf out but don't grow it's caused by planting to deep. In the spring try lifting the plants a inch or two and resetting them. It take a year before you get new root growth.

I would wait three years before worrying. Especially with a large bush, it takes time to get the roots established. As long as it leafs out and looks healthy, it should do fine. It's a notoriously slow grower which is why big specimen plants are so incredibly expensive.

I, too, have a Harry Lauder's Walking Stick tree. I bought it in the spring of 2006. When I look at the picture STA4 posted, I know that there is a problem with my tree. The abundance of foliage is missing on mine. Earlier this year it was draped with cobwebs for which I sprayed. No more cobwebs appeared but I only have a few leaves and the are near the bottom of the plant. I have noticed quite a few bumps of a light beige color along the bark. Could this be some sort of disease or is it normal?

I am trying to save my Harry Lauder. A late freeze damaged the tip ends of the branches and leaves. I trimed the ends. It was particularly dry after my husband planted it this spring. We have had rain since and watered it but it continues to loose leaves. It was planted in a shrub-type soil mixture at about the same depth that it was in the container when I bought it. We live in the Piedmont section of North Carolina. Any suggestions??

I have a Harry Lauder in full sun, and it has been in the ground ten years. It is a very healthy specimen, and it is a VERY SLOW GROWER, THIS IS NORMAL !!! I would advise that you make sure to keep the suckers off...other than that, patience...

I have a Harry Lauder in a large pot... what are suckers?

It has tons of droopy looking leaves and has new growth and has produced hazelnuts....

Seems healthy... although I am considering planting it in the ground this Fall.....

We want to move our Harry Lauder Walking Stick. Are there any special tips to transplanting the tree? It's about 8' high. How far down and around do we need to go without harming the roots?

Hello,
Just a quick word to let you know that HLWS is now available as a non-grafted plant. Manor View Farm, a Maryland supplier we often order from at our nursery, has figured out some way to root them. I was happy to learn they had, as it's one of my favorite ornamentals- and dealing with root stock on something that tends to sprout so many suckers is aggravating. So, kudos to the folks at MV!

I have a 5 year old HLWS which looks dead to me.
It has produced straight suckers from bottom of plant which I have cut. There has been no new growth. There are holes along the branch line of several branches. Has the plant been infested with bores or other bugs? If so, should I treat area separately and wait to plant new plant or plant new plant and treat area at the same time? I have purchased a new plant and could put it in a large container and wait for hole treatment. What to do?

Diane...check out "Eastern Filbert Blight." Just a thought.

We have enjoyed a lovely walking stick for the past 4 years. This year, seems like the leave are "starving" for something. We live in N. Ohio and have had plenty of rain.

Can it be lacking a nutrient?

Can someone suggest how I might save this tree?

Regards

with the growth of the other things around.. it is NOT a nutrient level ... rarely.. if ever.. would you 'feed' a stressed plant.. of any kind ... they are not children.. nor would you feed a sick child..

two things come to mind.. here in z5 MI .. i had a freeze at leaf out.. it struck some things.. and not others... your pic isnt very close.. but the affected ones in my yard look similar ... plants in general i mean ....

there is also a filbert disease... that took mine.. over a period of years... unfortunately.. i cant think of the name of such.. hopefully someone else can .. i am going to make a WAG at the link .. and let you take it from there...

i am not sure that there is actually is a remedy ...

good luck

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: bingo bango.. look for those nodules...

For the posters who say they see rows of bumps, that is likely the blight mentioned by anitamo and ken. The symptoms are the double rows of bumps and a loss of leaves. If you go out in early spring (early March here in PA), you will see small pink nodes on the branches. This is the ripe fungus. If you cut the branch, you will notice the brown from the dead wood starts on one side and eventually girdles the branch. The side it starts on is usually a flat spot on the otherwise rounded branch.

I've had 2 of these nice trees. One I grew from seed I got after taking some catkins from another HLWS tree and pollinated mine. Since these bloom well after the normal Corylus avellana, you can't pollinate them with those.

Anyway, I got small plants not grafted. They grew slowly for about 5 years old and then started dying. By this time the parent plant was also taken by the blight. I no longer have any, but lust after the nice ones I see sometimes.