“Bare branches in winter are a form of writing.”
— Billy Collins, “Winter Syntax”
We always called this deciduous shrub Jacob’s Walking Stick. It turns out we were wrong on both counts — the walking stick belongs instead to Harry Lauder, a Scottish entertainer and “connoisseur of walking sticks,” and is a dwarf tree rather than a shrub. Though Harry is no longer with us, his fondness for crooked walking sticks lives on in this meandering ornamental. Corylus Avellana Contorta, or Corkscrew Hazelnut, really comes into its own after the leaves drop and there’s a fresh blanket of snow to show off its twisty demeanor.
Diary of a Tomato 
awesome photo. Please post more.
It is beautiful no matter what you call it!
Lovely…for me it represents life with all its twists and turns.
without exception, each and every post here inspires in a most special way. Dare I say transcendental? Love the gorgeous quote. Must jot it down to save.
I loved my Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick in my Virginia gardens. The gnarled branches are spectacular in the winter and cut branches with yellow catkins in the spring are fabulous in flower arrangements. I envy you!