| PSC 2620: Woody Trees and Shrub | Course Home | Week 12 |
Pinus mugo - Mugo Pine
Plant Viewer
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| The bark of the Mugo Pine forms in plates. Image: University of Connecticut | Clusters of 2 needles, 1-1/2" long, radiate around the branches. Image: Georgi Kunev | Symmetrical grey cones form on the tree form, while smaller cones may appear on some shrub cultivars. Image: Maximillian Buhn |
Plant Description
Pinus mugo (Mugo Pine or Swiss Mountain Pine) is a mountain pine native to the mountain ranges of Europe. Its native form can grow up to 75' tall, but the most commonly available commercial cultivars of Pinus mugo rarely exceed 15', with large majority being in shrub form that is less than 6' tall.
The 1-2" long needles grow in pairs and vary in color from light green to a deep green, depending on the cultivar. The upward arching form of the branches strikes an attractive figure in the tree form, and produces a very dense canopy in the shrub form. The Mugo Pine is very hardy (zone 2) and tolerant of many different soil, exposure, and moisture conditions, though it performs best in well-drained soils with full sun.
Landscape Use
The small tree or large shrub form of Mugo Pine was very popular twenty to thirty years ago as an effective screen. Its relatively small size and dense foliage made it especially suited for this use. Although the tree form of the Mugo Pine is no longer as widely used as it was, the species remains an important landscape plant thanks to its many small shrub cultivars which are popular for use as foundation plantings and compact evergreen accents.
Points of interest
Mugo pine is susceptible to needle scale.
Notable Cultivars
Valley Cushion: A very compact, dense pine that stays low and flat, much wider than tall. Reddish, new buds complement the short, medium green needles, and plants grow very slowly, so they require little or no pruning.
Whitebud: Cold weather brings a white resinous coating to each terminal bud, producing a dramatic frosty effect against the plant's dark green winter foliage. During the rest of the year, the reliably low, globe-shaped plant.
Columnaris: A very narrow, upright Mugo Pine, the compact columnar habit is open enough to show off interesting reddish orange bark. Conspicuous buds, coated with white, waxy resin, stand out against long, dark green needles in winter, and colors intensify as the seasons change.
Slowmound: The dense, dark green mound is one of the best, with highly reliable color, texture, growth rate and habit. Beautiful year-round, it produces many showy buds and matures to a wide, even shape that is naturally compact. Reaches only 1-2' in 10 years.
Mops: The mounding plant has a smooth appearance that comes from many evenly spaced needles growing at a uniform rate on abundant branchlets. During most of the year, 'Mops' displays a hint of gray/blue in its green, but during the crisp, cold months of winter, needles take on a warm, golden hue.
Pumilio: A larger and faster growing cultivar, Pumilio can be expected to reach a height of 5' and a width much larger. There is a high degree of variability in the size of Pumilio because it is often propogated from seed.
Tannenbaum: This perfectly formed Christmas tree shaped tree displays an exceptionally good habit and the tough constitution of other mugos. The needles are longer, in proportion to its larger size. Foliage is rich green with a hint of gray/blue, even during winter. Highly adaptable to a wide range of environmental and climatic conditions and very hardy. Can reach 10' tall and 6' wide after 25 years.
