Trees and shrubs are usually pretty or handsome, even stately. From the jaunty witch hazel to the lacy dogwood to the lush rhododendron, trees and shrubs and, of course, flowers make the world a more pleasant place.
But a few that grow in the area are bizarre; they are either ominous or weird looking. Think of them as the John Waters cast of the plant family. Their names -- such as contorted willow (Salix matsudana Koidz cv 'Tortuosa') or Harry Lauder's walking stick (Corylus Avellana 'Contorta,') -- tip us off that we're in different if not strange territory.
The former is a fast-growing tree, up to nearly 40 feet. Its branches are twisted, spirally and intricately interwoven. Consequently, it is often called corkscrew willow; in the South, it's known as dragon's-claw willow.
Harry Lauder's walking stick is named after a 19th-century Scottish dancer who carried a crooked cane. A small deciduous tree (or large shrub), its branches wiggle out more than up. It has big, floppy leaves that conceal its dramatic structure, but when the leaves drop, the ungainly plant is transformed into a lovely mobile. It looks best with a wall or fence behind it to show off its configuration.
A slightly sinister-looking shrub is the hardy orange (Poncirus trifoliata), which has thorns that are two to three inches long. Horticulture Society of Maryland leader Graham Egerton (no relation to this writer) says that birds love to nest there, and feel safe from all predators. Cats hate it. Hardy orange is often grown in hedges. It does bear oranges, but they are tough, bitter and inedible.
Another peculiar-looking shrub is 'Graham Blandy' (Buxus sempirvirens), a boxwood brought here from Europe in 1969. While it grows up to 10 feet tall, it is only a foot wide. It is fastigiate, meaning it grows straight up and has no horizontal growth; it is therefore useful in tight places. It may be a little funny-looking, but it's deer resistant.
Some plants with peculiar looks have been bred from mutants that began in the horticultural phenomenon called witch's broom. Witch's broom is recognized by its dense, bushy growth, like an explosion, on an otherwise normal looking plant. It occurs when the genetic makeup of the new bud or node goes haywire, and something different -- mutant -- emerges from the parent plant and in vast numbers. Many dwarf cultivars have been propagated from cuttings from witch's broom, cultivars such as dwarf white pine, dwarf hinoki cypress and dwarf blue spruce. Witch's broom is also common among blueberry bushes and cherry, hackberry and fir trees.
A standard-sized and peculiar-looking product of witch's broom is weeping Norway spruce (Picea abies pendula). The tree, which can become quite tall, dips suddenly at the top as if it's bowing to those who pass by.
Pub Date: 03/21/99