Contorted European Filbert
The contorted European filbert is a slow-growing deciduous tree or shrub well-suited to small spaces: it only reaches 15 feet in height and width.
contorted filbert, mugho pine and
day-lilies. Silhouette a solitary specimen
against a wall, or surround it with a ...
A deformed or contorted knot in wood; a crossgrained protuberance.
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Cultivation: moist, well-drained soil; if desired, thin out to accentuate contorted form; remove any straight root suckers
Description: hanging, brown catkins in April; light green foliage; yellow fall colour.
The wild species grow slowly into large, contorted, rangy plants with woody stems shaped by the light and wind patterns of the site. The pink flower buds open to white blossoms with dark pink markings.
Particularly unusual and hard-to-find is the contorted form, Prunus mume 'Contorta'. Although there are many Japanese varieties in cultivation, in this country 'Kobai', with deep red semi-double flowers, is probably the least difficult to find.
Plant this as a specimen and stand back and marvel at its contorted, twisted branches. Considered a deciduous shrub, the sun-loving plant takes on a treelike form and grows to 8 to 10 feet tall and wide.
Red & Yellow Twig Dogwood, Contorted Plants like Harry Lauder's Walking Stick, Corkscrew Willow, Pinecones
Cut Flowers ...
'Whirlwind' has semi-double white blooms, with contorted greenish-white inner tepals.
'White Giant': grows 4 feet tall with large semi-double flowers.
Some seeds produce much smaller trees than normal, including many of the weeping and contorted varieties.
Conditions in nature. Some conifers grow in habitats with harsh conditions, such as windy, rocky outcrops and alpine zones.
Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa' (corkscrew willow): Now more correctly S. babylonica perkinensis ‘Tortuosa'. The contorted and twisted stems are especially atrractive when bare in winter. Height: 6, (20 ft).
For example, the curiously twisted, corkscrew-like branches of contorted filbert (Corylus avellana 'Contorta') are a conversation piece in any garden, but you can't really see them until the leaves drop.
The one known as 'Franchetii' is most robust, while 'Bunyardii' is compact and free-flowering. 'Major' has exceptionally large lanterns while those of the form called 'Monstrosa' are curiously contorted. The variety 'Nana' grows only 6 inches high.
 See also: Flower, Foliage, Plant, Shrub, Branch
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