11 Trees With Unique, Twisted Branches That Look Good Bare

There are numerous plants that shine in winter, making the landscape anything but dull. The palette includes the oddities of twisted and curled branches. Specimens with distinguishable forms take center stage this season, and for good reason. They’re eye-catching in a frosty scene against a grayed background or floral arrangements, fresh and dried.

Some bent and twisty varieties are naturally occurring, plucked from their native growing area for their unique traits. Hybridizers create others for fantastic forms. On occasion, trees that normally don’t curl become so due to a physiological response and possibly genetics. These “one-offs” aren’t separate species or varieties but make for an interesting focal point.

Trees add structure to the landscape all year long and are the “bones” of the garden. When planning for all-season appeal, it helps to incorporate deciduous trees with stately, interesting, or unusual forms. Blend these trees with twisted branches into beds as leafy backdrops and contrasting textures until the winter reveal, buffering them with anchoring evergreens to do most of the ornamental work in the cold months.

Contorted Mulberry

	botanical name Morus indica ‘Unryo’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 15-30’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Contorted mulberry trees twist and bend their branches in a broad habit with dark chestnut bark. Unryo is Japanese for “twisted,” and this woody is popular for its unique form. It stands alone as a specimen or looks great in an ornamental bed. With some botanical confusion as to species, a synonym for the species is M. australis.

In addition to its striking leafless form in winter, it has large rounded leaves for the rest of the year. In the spring, it produces a small, greenish catkin bloom that attracts pollinators. It may develop some edible fruits (favored by songbirds) but grows mostly for its outstanding branching and foliage. Leaves turn yellow in the fall before dropping to reveal the winter interest.

These are vigorous trees that grow quickly but take pruning to manage size. Prune during winter dormancy to selectively remove crossing branches. Contorted mulberries are low maintenance, preferring well-drained, organically rich soil but tolerating clays and sands and slight alkalinity. They also withstand heat and drought. This is an invasive plant across the U.S., so ensure you’re not in a region where it will push out natives before planting.

Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick

	botanical name Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8-10’
	hardiness zones 4-8

Harry Lauder’s walking stick is distinctive with a gnarly corkscrew and curly form. In late winter, pendulous yellow catkins hang from its branches, making a dramatic spectacle.

Harry Lauder has curled, hairy leaves and gray bark. The straight species spreads through suckers and can be invasive, though ‘Contorta’ doesn’t experience the same aggressive spread. Other cultivars grow commercially for nut production – the filbert or hazelnut. The sport ‘Contorta’ seldom produces fruit.

‘Contorta’ prefers rich, moist, well-drained soils, though it’s drought-tolerant once established. Grow this Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit recipient in a bed or container where its seasonal interest is visible. Stems make excellent accents in floral arrangements or as lasting natural embellishments.

Eastern Redbud ‘ZigZag®’

	botanical name Cercis canadensis ‘Seirb’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 12-20’
	hardiness zones 4-8

Eastern redbuds are small understory trees with twisted branches native to eastern North America. As early as February, the show begins with purple-pink blooms that line slender branches for an all-over spray of color. The bundles of petite blossoms provide an early nectar source for hummingbirds and other pollinators.

Embracing wild geometry, ‘ZigZag®’ displays symmetrical angular branching that literally zigs and zags among bright green leaves. Its parent plant was a chance discovery in a Virginia field, leading to the development of ‘Seirb.’ Magenta buds line stems in late winter and open to rich fuschia. Foliage is lime and chartreuse and turns shades of orange and gold in autumn.

Cercis are easy to care for and adapt to various site conditions, from poor soils to shifting sunlight. They perform best in average, well-draining soils with consistent moisture. For other interesting branching, weeping forms like ‘Lavender Twist’ and ‘Whitewater’ bring graceful descending stems with zigzag patterning.

Contorted Beech

	botanical name Fagus sylvatica ‘Tortuosa’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10-15’
	hardiness zones 4-7

Contorted European beech makes a dramatic focal point as a dwarf cultivar of the large scale landscape specimen. This tree’s framework of bending branches spreads from a twisting trunk with a horizontal expanse of gnarled stems. When leaves drop, the tree looks frozen in place as an ornamental windworn specimen, or as UConn puts it, “a large weather-beaten bonsai.” 

The foliage of ‘Tortuosa’ is olive green with wavy margins, while ‘Tortuosa Purpurea’ is dark purple, adding to its mystique. Other European varieties, larger in stature like ‘Asplenifolia,’ have slightly twisting branches, while some have a graceful weeping habit, like ‘Purple Fountain.’ Fagus grandifolia, American beech, is native to the U.S. with long, spreading horizontal branches.

Among stately attributes is silvery gray bark and reddish fall color. Beech are shallow-rooted and grow best in well-drained, acidic soils.

American Hornbeam

	botanical name Carpinus caroliniana
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 20-30’
	hardiness zones 3-9

This North American native isn’t as gnarly as others on our list, but its stretched, muscular trunk and branching are worth including. Also called musclewood or ironwood, American hornbeam has fluted and sinewy bark for limbs with organic musculation.

Hornbeam’s foliage is an asset from spring through fall, when it emerges with reddish tinges, matures to dark green, and turns yellow, orange, and red with cold weather. The bark is smooth gray-brown with multi-stemmed, rounded branches.

The hardwood tolerates various soils, from clay to alkaline, and periods of moisture and dryness. It performs best in moist, well-draining, acidic, sandy loams. American hornbeam is a host plant for the Eastern tiger swallowtail and the Red-spotted purple butterflies. Its buds in spring and seeds in fall are a food source for songbirds, fowl, and small mammals.

Corkscrew Willow

	botanical name Salix babylonica f. tortuosa
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 20-35’
	hardiness zones 5-8

Corkscrew, or the more dramatic common name, “dragon’s claw willow,” has curly upright branches and twigs. Even the leaves are long, narrow, and curled. Their contorted nature is all the more apparent against a leafless, wintry backdrop.

Dragon’s claw prefers moist soils and doesn’t withstand drought. These willows are fast-growing and sometimes susceptible to weak wood at juncture points. They can be relatively short-lived. When pruned, new, vigorous growth appears more twisty. 

Contorted Larch

	botanical name Larix kaempferi ‘Diana’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 20-25’
	hardiness zones 4-7

Larch ‘Diana’ is a narrow, upright pyramidal conifer. From tip to base, it curves and spirals. Each soft blue-green needle recurves on meandering stems for even more movement to the form.  

Prized for their fall color, larches turn golden yellow in autumn and drop their needles. ‘Diana’s’ intriguing stems persist either in its natural conical habit or pruned as a small specimen. The selection is a slow-grower, reaching eight feet in a decade.

Contorted larches do well in cool climates, where winters are cold and summers are mild. They struggle in high heat and humidity. Grow them in organically rich, acidic soils with good drainage. They benefit from irrigation during prolonged dry spells.

SunburstⓇ Honey Locust

	botanical name Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Suncole’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 40’
	hardiness zones 4-9

SunburstⓇ is a showy variety of thornless, seedless honey locust with bright gold new growth that transitions to green as it ages. The yellow tones pop against darker greens, more notable on an irregular upright form with asymmetrical branching. Foliage also turns clear yellow in the fall for a bright display.

Honey locusts tend to have slight zigzagging, whether upright or horizontal. This is evident in ‘Suncole’s’ ascending branches when the gold leaves detach. Each slender stem zigs and zags as it grows upright. The straight native species has long thorns to add to their seasonal interest (but tough for the ones who maintain them).

SunburstⓇ has long, compound leaves with small leaflets for a fine texture. It adapts to various soils but prefers a neutral pH (not too acidic) in fertile, moist situations. The hardy growers are salt and pollution-tolerant.

Willow ‘Golden Curls’

	botanical name Salix ‘Golden Curls’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 20-30’
	hardiness zones 5-9

‘Golden Curls’ has it all when it comes to color, foliage, and sculptural form. The tree’s trunk and mature branches grow upright while new growth descends in a twisted, weeping habit, emerging bright green-gold and becoming bronzish in summer. 

Long, narrow leaves twirl on twisty stems with a slight recurve. ‘Golden Curls’ is a cross between corkscrew willow (S. babylonica ‘Tortuosa’) and golden weeper Salix alba ‘Tristis’ for their attributes of curled twigs and leaves, pendulous habit, and bold color – especially against a snowy backdrop.

Like other willows, ‘Golden Curls’ grows quickly and thrives in moist soils. The cultivar received the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit for its outstanding ornamental qualities and ease of growth.

Contorted Japanese Maple

	botanical name Acer palmatum ‘Germaine’s Gyration’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-8’
	hardiness zones 5-8

Contorted Japanese maple (‘Contorta’ or ‘Germaine’s Gyration’) is a smaller, shrubbier type with dissected leaves. Branches twist, mound, and spread around the main trunk. Delicate leaves are green with slight burgundy tinges on their tips. In the fall, they turn rich gold, orange, and red.

‘Shishigashira’ is another nearly contorted variety with curled leaves on a compact form whose sculpture improves with age (excellent for bonsai and containers). ‘Mikawa Yatsubusa’ is small and dense, with layered leaves on twirling branches. Both boast exceptional fall color.

Japanese maples are easy to care for in moist, well-draining, organically rich soils with slight acidity. Protect these architectural specimens from strong winds.

Flowering Cherry ‘Little Twist®’

	botanical name Prunus incisa ‘CarltonLT’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-8’
	hardiness zones 5-8

‘Little Twist®’ has a petite stature with big budding and flowering. Winter interest includes developing buds along twisted stems and silvery, silken bark. Pink buds open to sweet white blossoms with pinky-rose centers and cover the outward, zigzagging stems.

Smaller than full-sized ornamental cherries, ‘Little Twist®’ makes a pretty container specimen with multi-season appeal. Autumnal foliage is deep purple.