Harry Lauder's Walking Stick

I FOUND ONE! I am so excited. I was wondering if there is anything I need to be aware of... any hints? I love this tree and I want to put him where I can see him in the winter time.

The one and only problem I've ever had with mine is the attraction for Japanese Beetles. But if you know how to keep that from occurring, please let me know. Otherwise, he's pretty carefree and lovely in the winter!

My favorite trick with Japanese beetles is to take a plastic pop or water bottle, cut the top off right about where it is the same width all the way down. Buy some cheap, nasty tuna-flavored cat food and put a dollop in the bottom. Then put the top back on upside down, like a funnel, and tape it if it won't stay. Works on flies, too. They crawl in and can't get out. Put it in a plastic bag before you throw it out, though - it can get pretty nasty in there!

And if the Walking Stick keeps them off my roses, then hey, bonus!

The foliage isn't the draw anyway; so if the beetles denude the tree, it'll look great all year round! LOL

Are the catkins as pretty as the picture on the tag shows them? Looks like I will have to wait until next year to be certain, but if anyone knows...

Well I can't be sure about your tag, but, yes, they're quite pretty hanging from the bare limbs.

This is from a few years ago on mine...

One other caution: Check to see if it's a rooted cutting or a graft. Grafts like to sucker (with straight shoots) and therefore can require frequent attention to pruning.

Guy S.

I know how to tell with Roses - does it look the same, or is there another way to check?

While it's still small you probably can see the graft union if it was grafted. Later on, you'll know from the suckers! Or look on the tag -- some nurseries that sell "own-root" plants will take credit for it on the label.

Guy S.

It looks like the trunk goes right into the dirt, no graft union that I can see. Guess I can hope, right? Time will tell.

Zarabeth,
Look here for a great pic of Harry Lauder's catkins. Scroll down to container #12.
http://www.ygpshow.com/containers.html
Michele

I've been wanting one of those for a while now.....as far as the Japanese beetles...this disgusting method was what the teacher at my last gardening course said works for her.

buy a second hand blender
capture as many Japanese beetles as you can
blend w/water and put in spray bottle after straining
spray on plants they were feasting on....

blech!

Awwwww! Not a second-hand blender!

You can use your regular home blender. After using, put it in your dishwasher so it will be sanitized. Japanese Beetles are only protein, chitin and leaf juice.

I have a few ways of getting rid of Japanese Beetles. Some are organic.

1. Handpick them. Put them in a container that has rubbing alcohol and they'll die immediately, very happy.

2. Leave them be. Song Sparrows and House Finches love them - and Purple Martins will swoop them out of the air.

3. Plant an alternate crop. Japanese Beetles love Rose Bushes. They also love your cheap Pussy Willow - or other varieties of Willows.

4. Use a Systemic insecticide. Those eating the leaves will be fodder for the earth worms. Though I'm not sure if the systemic insecticide will go through the food chain - does anyone know?

BTW, I just planted two Harry Lauder Walking sticks (bare root) that arrived in the mail. The buds are swelling, so I hope to see new growth in the next week. I planted them on both sides of the sidewalk entrance to my front porch. They'll have plenty of room to grow, and anyone coming to the front door in the Winter will see them. I wonder how they look with Christmas tree lights on them??

There aren't even sparrows or finches in the world to curb the hoardes of beetles I have! LOL They're almost at periodical cicada levels every year! I hate Japanese Beetles. If my nearby rhodo gets going really well, I might just have to lose the corkscrew hazel in favor of the rhodo. The hazel is interesting to look at, but I get tired of the beetles and the tree/shrub isn't on my 'must keep' list like my Japanese Maples are.

After reading this tread, I am thinking I will admire other people's shrub and forget about planting one myself.

I think I'll have to admire that one, too, over mine. I'll probably never live to see mine little one that magnificent! Thanks for the pic. I'm taking it outside to post as inspiration for my Harry.

Let me know if it works...LOL

OMG - that is absolutely gorgeous! I hope someday mine gets half that size...

Here's another 2 cents on the graft question...

If your tree was in a pot, it would pay to gently scrape dirt away from the trunk until you find the root flare - where major roots spread out. I've seen a lot of field grown trees that were lifted and potted for retail and soil is added to the top to fill up the pot (and/or cover grass or weeds that may be coming with it!) SO you may find your graft just beneath the soil and if so, you'll probably be able to see a marked difference beneath the graft where the original soil line was.

Potting trees deeper than they were grown contributes to the failure many people have with new trees since it's pretty common for people to plant trees too deep. If anything they should be planted a little above grade. That root flare should be right at soil level. Look at prized, ancient Bonsai specimens and then look up pictures of the largest and oldest trees in the world and you'll notice that root flare is exposed..

When I plant it, I will do that - thank you so much for the advice! Now to figure out the perfect spot for it....

Secluded - any idea how old that tree in your picture is? I'm wondering how fast they actually grow. -C

Unfortunately, I have no idea how old the specimen is. I was driving by on my way to a jobsite and just had to stop and take a photo. Believe it or not, the plant does not belong the house in the picture but to it's neighbor. Even driving by it looks like it goes with the house in the picture. It wasn't until I went up to the front door to ask permission to take the photos, that Irealized I had the wrong house.

This is just the most beautiful specimen I have ever seen!!

another shot

That's a monster and I'd say it's pretty old unless it's had some maintenance pruning over the years. I've got one that's settled in on the NW corner of the house and is finally getting some size. I think I noticed a straight shoot on it and need to prune tomorrow. I'll get a pic to post.

How much maintenance does it take to keep them looking good? I hear from landscpae contractors that they are a nightmare to maintain. Between that and the Japanese Beetles, I am shying away from buying one.

Well from my experience it's not like taking care of the big wild boys like sambucus and forsythia or even fruit trees. More for asthetics I guess. Selective removal or cutting back to give a uniform and pleasing shape. Or even keeping it within a certain size limit / perspective. Mine only gets late afternoon sun and then only early in the season before the smoke tree leafs out and the Autumn Sun rudbeckia turns into a a 6' bush.

Everything I have read says it needs lots of sun - quite a trick in my yard. So you have had some experience with it in partial shade? Because I have the PERFECT spot for it right outside the bay window in my dining room off the north side of the house, but it won't get a lot of sun - maybe a couple hours in the morning. Otherwise I have to put it further out back in my yard where I won't get to see it very well until it gets really big.

If that one in the photo is as agressive as mine, it could be as young as 15-20 years old.

hey sorry to butt in but whats a good price for the tree i finally found a few after looking for a month and 4 diff counties found three small one paid 35 for all

It'll kind of depend where you buy it and the size. I've seen a couple of nice specimens in a local nursery before for $45 but they were already about 30" tall and well branched. If yours are in good shape you probably got a fair deal on them. Congratulations on actually finding a trio in a nursery. I hardly ever see them and when I do they are the larger sizes for more $$

The one I saw last year in a nursery near me was $75 for a 3' well branched plant.

I paid $60, and it is about three feet tall in a 5-gallon container, and also well branched - it looks like it is "blowing in the wind," kind of like those scrub pines you see in very windy areas. It was so cool... I agonized and agonized, and finally justified it with telling myself it was a beautiful specimen, I had not seen one before in the garden centers, and I had been lusting after them ever since I saw my first photo! I really have to take a picture and post it here...

Deal! Show me your and I'll show you mine. :)
I got mine from mail order and they look pathetic when they're bare root and a single twisted stem. But after his second move he's finally getting a little size. I promise I'll get a pic and post it tomorrow.

I'd love to see anyone elses.
Here's another thing though - mine has never produced the catkins that make them look so cool in the spring. Don't know why unless maybe there are male and females.

I am out of town this week, but I will do my best to get a photo posted by next weekend! How old is yours now?

Hmmm, I'll have to go back and look in the logs. I think he's 4 or 5 now.

It's trying to rain, so I was quick. This isn't the best shot with so many distractions in the background. I can see it's growing out away from the house though. This is the NW corner so it doesn't get sun till late afternoon.

He's beautiful! I know some people find these trees really ugly, but I am NOT one of those. I think they have wonderful character. Does that make me twisted, too? :-)

Hi, I've been watching this thread and have been fascinated by this tree. I just ordered one from Wayside. It's one gallon size but I don't know what that will translate to in height/size. I'm excited and will put it in my front yard where I can see it from the living room. Yay! BTW, it's $46.19, is that about right? Guess it'll depend on what it looks like when it arrives.