The flowers (or more properly, the catkins - the pollen producing male flowers) of the Hazelnut tree come out before the leaves. The tree itself doesn't seem to like any straightness at all, so it was given the "official" name "Corylus avellana contorta". Harry Lauder was the first entertainer to give performances to the troops of the armed services. A Scotsman, he was knighted in 1919 for his efforts. He was a comedian and as he performed he used a very crooked walking staff.
Harry Lauder's Walking Stick Hazelnut
