How to Grow and Care for Dwarf Mugo Pine

Fertilize your mugo annually with a few shovels of compost or another organic soil amendment. They typically do not need applied fertilizers, though a spring application might benefit those grown in containers.

Pinus mugo

The Mugo pine is a bushy, multi-stemmed, or broadly rounded conifer. needled evergreen shrub or tree in the Pinaceae or pine family. The form and habit of the Mugo pine can be quite variable, although it is usually low, broad-spreading, and bushy. Mugo pine can take on a more prostrate form as well as become tree-like. The species may grow to a height of 20 to 25 feet and spread 25 to 30 feet; however, there are many dwarf varieties and cultivars available. The dwarf height averages 2 to 5 feet tall and spreads outward.

The Mugo pine is native to high-elevation habitats from southern to central Europe. The shrub is often used to control erosion and prevent avalanches.

The genus name, Pinus, is the Latin name for pines. The epithet, mugo, is derived from Italian and means “small mountain pine.”

This plant grows best in full sun and moist, well-drained loam or sandy soils. It is somewhat tolerant of partial shade and clay soils, but it is best to avoid wet or poorly-drained soils. Mugo pine prefers cool summer climates and is generally tolerant of urban conditions. It normally does not produce a tap root and is easy to transplant. Prune annually in late winter to keep its compact size. This shrub or tree is resistant to damage by deer.

The bark of the Mugo pine is grayish-brown with irregular plates. The needles are green, 1 to 3 inches long, rigid, thick, and appear in bundles of two and have a slight twist. This shrub produces inconspicuous male and female pollen cones from May to July. The male pollen cone is greenish-yellow and 0.25 inches long. The female cone ripens in the fall and becomes oval to conical, sessile, 1 to 2.5 inches long, and dark brown.

Although mugo pine is typically used in foundation plantings, it can be showcased as a specimen, used in mass or small groupings, planted along walkways or near ponds, or grown in containers on a patio. Because this plant supports moths and other pollinators, it is an excellent choice for a nighttime or pollinator garden. Its interesting shape and evergreen needles also make it work well in winter or in a rock garden.

Quick ID Hints:

• small to large sized, low, broad spreading, multi-stemmed, and bushy evergreen shrub
• leaves are medium to dark green needles in fascicles of two, 1 to 3 inches long, firm, thick, rigid, smooth, finely toothed margins
• pollen cones are male greenish-yellow, cylinder-shaped, and female clusters of yellowish-green to purple
• female pollen cones ripe in the fall and are 1 to 2.5 inches long, dark brown without sharp points

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Pine needle scale, sawflies, and moths and borers may affect the Mugo pine. It is also susceptible to tip blight, rust, and rot. This tree is susceptible to wind damage.

VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for “Trees, Shrubs and Conifers” a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.

Profile Video: See this plant in the following landscapes: Patio RoomMountain Ridge Top Garden – East Lawn and Lower Drive Border Cultivars / Varieties:

• ‘Columnaris’
  ‘Compacta’
  Dwarf, rounded, 3 feet tall,
• ‘Gallica’
  Upright branches, low growing and wide spreading.
• ‘Gnome’
  12 feet tall
• ‘Golden Mound’
  dwarf evergreen, green foliage summer, and golden foliage winter
• ‘Mini Mini’
  miniature shrub, 8 inches tall, very small green needles
• ‘Mitsch Mini’
  dwarf, small green needles, slow growing‘Mops’
  Dwarf form
• ‘Ophir’
  Mounded, flat topped, 2′ tall
• ‘Oregon Jade’
  dwarf evergreen shrub, compact, spreading, mound, green needles
• ‘Slowmound’
  var. pumilio
  Dense spreading habit and upright branches

‘Columnaris’, ‘Compacta’, ‘Gallica’, ‘Gnome’, ‘Golden Mound’, ‘Mini Mini’, ‘Mitsch Mini’, ‘Mops’, ‘Ophir’, ‘Oregon Jade’, ‘Slowmound’, var. pumilio Tags: #cultivars#evergreen#small tree#slow growing#conifer#bonsai#low maintenance#winter interest#tsc#air pollution tolerant#pond margins#cpp#deer resistant#nighttime garden#rock garden#fantz#poor soils tolerant#larval host plant#sandy soils tolerant#clay soils tolerant#tsc-cg#wind damage prone#imperial moth#container plant#landscape plant sleuths course#wildlife friendly

Cultivars / Varieties:

• ‘Columnaris’
  ‘Compacta’
  Dwarf, rounded, 3 feet tall,
• ‘Gallica’
  Upright branches, low growing and wide spreading.
• ‘Gnome’
  12 feet tall
• ‘Golden Mound’
  dwarf evergreen, green foliage summer, and golden foliage winter
• ‘Mini Mini’
  miniature shrub, 8 inches tall, very small green needles
• ‘Mitsch Mini’
  dwarf, small green needles, slow growing‘Mops’
  Dwarf form
• ‘Ophir’
  Mounded, flat topped, 2′ tall
• ‘Oregon Jade’
  dwarf evergreen shrub, compact, spreading, mound, green needles
• ‘Slowmound’
  var. pumilio
  Dense spreading habit and upright branches

‘Columnaris’, ‘Compacta’, ‘Gallica’, ‘Gnome’, ‘Golden Mound’, ‘Mini Mini’, ‘Mitsch Mini’, ‘Mops’, ‘Ophir’, ‘Oregon Jade’, ‘Slowmound’, var. pumilio Tags: #cultivars#evergreen#small tree#slow growing#conifer#bonsai#low maintenance#winter interest#tsc#air pollution tolerant#pond margins#cpp#deer resistant#nighttime garden#rock garden#fantz#poor soils tolerant#larval host plant#sandy soils tolerant#clay soils tolerant#tsc-cg#wind damage prone#imperial moth#container plant#landscape plant sleuths course#wildlife friendly

• Attributes: Genus: Pinus Species: mugo Family: Pinaceae Uses (Ethnobotany): It is used as medicine, food, and environmentally. It is a source of oil of turpentine. This shrub protects the soil from erosion and to retard avalanching in its native range. The needles are used to make tea in Bulgaria. Life Cycle: Woody Recommended Propagation Strategy: Grafting Root Cutting Seed Country Or Region Of Origin: Mountains of central and southern Europe Distribution: Native: Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Switzerland, Ukraine, and Yugoslavia. Introduced: Baltic States, Denmark, Great Britain, Ireland, Norway, and Sweden. Wildlife Value: This plant supports Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed. This plant provides shelter for mammals and birds. Play Value: Textural Wildlife Cover/Habitat Dimensions: Height: 20 ft. 0 in. – 25 ft. 0 in. Width: 25 ft. 0 in. – 30 ft. 0 in.

• Whole Plant Traits: Plant Type: Shrub Tree Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics: Needled Evergreen Habit/Form: Broad Multi-stemmed Pyramidal Rounded Spreading Growth Rate: Slow Maintenance: Low Texture: Coarse

• Cultural Conditions: Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) Soil Texture: Loam (Silt) Sand Soil pH: Acid (<6.0) Alkaline (>8.0) Neutral (6.0-8.0) Soil Drainage: Good Drainage Moist Available Space To Plant: 12-24 feet 24-60 feet NC Region: Mountains Piedmont USDA Plant Hardiness Zone: 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b

• Fruit: Fruit Color: Black Gold/Yellow Gray/Silver Green Display/Harvest Time: Fall Fruit Length: 1-3 inches Fruit Width: 1-3 inches Fruit Description: The female pollen cones ripen and are sessile, 1 to 2.5 inches long, 0.5- 1.5 inches wide, oval, dry, and dark brown. They mature to gray-brown and appear solitary or may occur in clusters of 3 or 4. The seeds are tiny, black with a buff-colored wing. The cones may be harvested in the fall.

• Flowers: Flower Color: Gold/Yellow Green Purple/Lavender Flower Inflorescence: Insignificant Flower Bloom Time: Spring Summer Flower Description: The species is monoecious (male and female are different flowers on the same plant.) The male pollen cone is 0.25 inches long, greenish-yellow, and cylinder-like. The female pollen cone appears in clusters and is yellowish-green to purple. Flowering occurs in May to July.

• Leaves: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics: Needled Evergreen Leaf Color: Green Leaf Value To Gardener: Fragrant Deciduous Leaf Fall Color: Gold/Yellow Leaf Type: Needles Leaf Arrangement: Alternate Other/more complex Leaf Shape: Filiform Leaf Margin: Serrate Hairs Present: No Leaf Length: 1-3 inches Leaf Width: < 1 inch Leaf Description: The foliage is needle-like, alternate, spiral, firm, rigid, thick, and 1 to 3 inches long. They are clustered on dwarf shoots in fascicles of 2. They are short, blunt, margins are finely serrulate, medium to dark green, and weakly twisted. The needles will persist for many years and may become yellow-green in winter.

• Bark: Bark Color: Dark Brown Dark Gray Surface/Attachment: Bumpy Bark Plate Shape: Irregular Bark Description: The bark has irregular plates, blocky bark, and is grayish-brown. Raised bumps are seen on the smaller stems’ bark

• Stem: Stem Color: Brown/Copper Gray/Silver Green Stem Is Aromatic: No Stem Buds: Scaly Stem Description: The stems are green to brown with a medium thickness with dense needles. The new stems are candle-like. The buds are arranged in whorls, scales are appressed, reddish-brown with resin, and 0.25 to 0.5 inches long. They are oblong to oval in shape.

• Landscape: Landscape Location: Container Naturalized Area Patio Pond Slope/Bank Walkways Woodland Landscape Theme: Nighttime Garden Rock Garden Winter Garden Design Feature: Accent Border Foundation Planting Hedge Mass Planting Screen/Privacy Small groups Small Tree Specimen Attracts: Moths Small Mammals Songbirds Resistance To Challenges: Deer Drought Pollution Salt

How to Grow and Care for Dwarf Mugo Pine

David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience.

Andrew Hughes is a certified arborist, member of the International Society of Arborists specializing in tree heal care, and reviews tree content on The Spruce’s Gardening Review Board. He founded and runs Urban Loggers, LLC, a company offering residential tree services in the Midwest and Connecticut.

The mugo pine (Pinus mugo) is a species of coniferous needled evergreen that is a favorite in landscape use. Appreciated for its dark green needles and dense branches, many cultivars have been developed, most with a broad, spreading form, growing wider than they are tall. Several excellent small varieties are available, including ‘Mops’, a true dwarf that remains quite short, unlike some other so-called dwarf cultivars that grow relatively tall. ‘Mops’ and a few other cultivars are slow-growing shrubs that are especially well suited for restricted spaces in the landscape where few pines are suitable.

‘Mops’ and other short mugo pines can function effectively as a low hedge or ground cover as well as foundation plantings or as evergreens for rock gardens. They can also be used as specimen plants in a mixed border. Some cultivars are used as bonsai specimens.

As with many shrubs, spring is a traditional planting time, as this gives the plant plenty of time to settle in and develop new roots before the winter cold arrives. However, the mugo pine can also be planted in the early fall, provided you give it enough time before first frost to settle in. Avoid planting it in the heat of mid-summer, if possible, though this tough shrub probably will survive no matter when you plant it.

Dwarf Mugo Pine Care

Dwarf mugo pines usually grow well in almost any soil other than dense clay. This plant prefers relatively cool conditions and has a good tolerance for urban environments. Growers usually recommend digging a large planting hole, amending the removed soil, if necessary, with small gravel (if the soil is clay) or coconut coir (if the soil is sandy).

Remove the plant from its nursery container, gently loosen the roots, then position the shrub in the hole and pack the amended soil around the root ball. Tamp the soil as you go to remove air pockets, then water thoroughly.

Mugo pines have roots that grow close to the surface, so it is a good idea to mulch around the base to help keep the roots cool, especially in climates with hot summers.

Light

While mugo pines will tolerate part shade at the northern end of their range (zones 2 to 5), in these regions you will see better performance if the shrubs are planted in full sun. Part shade might be preferable when growing them at the southern end of their range (zones 5 to 7).

Soil

Mugo pines are not fussy about soil pH and can tolerate slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH 6.5 to 7.5). They are also tolerant of various soil types, provided it drains well; they do not like wet, dense soil. These shrubs do well in sandy soil, provided it has some organic matter in it.

Water

While your mugo pine is young, water as needed throughout summer so that the soil remains moist. Once established, mugo pines are moderately drought-tolerant and only need watering during prolonged periods of drought. Slowly it water at the base until the soil is deeply moistened but not soggy. Let the soil dry out before watering it again.

Temperature and Humidity

Dwarf cultivars generally can survive in a wide climate range and can tolerate both hot summers and cold winters. They rarely suffer winter burn on the foliage from the drying winds of winter, as do arborvitae and some other evergreens.

Fertilizer

Fertilize your mugo annually with a few shovels of compost or another organic soil amendment. They typically do not need applied fertilizers, though a spring application might benefit those grown in containers.

Types of Mugo Pine

There are several excellent dwarf varieties of mugo pine that are ideal for small gardens, including:

• Pinus mugo ‘Compacta’ has dark green needles on dense branches and grows three to four feet tall and two to four feet wide. It is hardy in USDA zones 2 through 8.
• P. mugo ‘Sherwood Compact’ is a true dwarf that is densely needled with a rounded, shape. It is slow-growing and matures at two feet tall and wide. It is hardy in USDA Zones 2 through 7.
• P. mugo ‘Enci’ grows 3 feet tall and 5 feet wide. It is a dense, slow-growing shrub with short needles. It is hardy in USDA Zones 2 through 7.
• P. mugo ‘Gnome‘ is a small, flat-top form. It grows slowly, topping out at only 18 to 24 inches tall and 3 feet wide. It is hardy in USDA Zones 3 through 7.
• P. mugo ‘Mops‘ has an especially dense growth habit that works well in confined spaces. It grows slowly to about four feet tall and two to three feet wide, taking 30 years to do so. It is hardy in USDA Zones 2 to 7.

Pruning Mugo Pines

Home owners sometimes purchase and plant mugo pines under the false assumption that all cultivars are compact in size. The result of this uninformed plant selection is that homeowners end up with plants that are too big for the space in which they are growing. This drawback is somewhat offset by mugo pines’ slow growth rate.

If you find yourself with a mugo pine that is growing beyond the dwarf size you were expecting, you can shape the plant in spring by removing the central shoots of new growth (called “candles”). Pruning these central candles by half their length will create a more dense, compact plant.

Propagating Mugo Pine

Mugo pine is best propagated from cuttings, as growing them from the seeds contained in the pine cones produces plants with a lot of variation in shape and size, and not true to cultivar type.

1. In May or June, when the needles have formed and they are still soft, using a sharp knife or pruners, cut off 5- to 7-inch long, strong stems from the new growth.
2. Remove any side shoots and the needles from the lower portion of the stems. None of the needles should be buried in soil so make sure to remove enough needles.
3. Fill 4-inch pots with potting mix. Dip the cut ends in rooting hormone. Make a hole in the soil with a pencil or stick and insert the cutting in the holes. Water well until the soil is evenly moist.
4. Place the pots in an outdoor location in bright, indirect light out of the hot sun. Keep the soil moist at all times but not soggy. It can take up to two months for the cuttings to root.
5. Repot any cuttings that have rooted to larger individual pots and let them grow in pots for a couple of seasons. The stronger they are when transplanted, the better their chance of survival in the landscape.

Growing Mugo Pines in Containers

Small mugo pines grow well in containers and can be left outdoors all winter in most climates. Choose a pot that is twice as tall and wide as the root ball. Here are some of the smallest cultivars:

• ‘Paul’s Dwarf’ grows to 2 to 3 feet tall and wide in 10 years; it has short needles and is hardy in USDA Zones 2 through 7.
• ‘Honeycomb’ grows to 4 feet tall in 10 years; its needles turn gold in winter. It is hardy in USDA Zones 3 through 5.
• ‘Gnome‘: grows to 4 feet tall in 10 years, but is relatively wide at 5 feet. It is hardy in USDA Zones 3 through 7.

When growing mugo pines in containers, it’s important to water them weekly during the growing season. As winter approaches, keep them well watered until the soil freezes. You can then stop watering if the soil remains frozen. Once the soil thaws in spring, or during warm spells in winter, water as soon as possible. Return to the regular watering schedule once the temperature rises for the season.

Container plants should be fed once in the spring, using a slow-release fertilizer. For the amount to use, follow the product label instructions.

Overwintering

Unlike mugo pine planted in the ground, container plants need winter protection as the vulnerable roots are not insulated and exposed to temperatures below zero, which can kill them even though the plant is hardy down to USDA zone 2.

Once the temperature remains consistently below freezing, move the container to an unheated space such as a garage where the temperature remains consistently between 20 and 30 degrees F. Water regularly to keep the soil most until the air temperatures warm up again in the spring.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Most dwarf mugo pines are virtually maintenance-free, barring any insect or disease problems, which are not common. Mugo pines are rarely infested with insects or plagued by diseases, but gardeners in some regions should watch out for pine sawfly and pine needle scale, as well as various moths and borers, tip blight, rots, and rusts.

Insecticidal soaps are the first option for treating most insects, but you can progress to chemical pesticides if necessary. Fungicides applied in the spring can be used if your shrub suffers from a fungal disease.

Mugo pines are genetic descendants of much taller evergreen trees native to mountainous regions in Europe, a fact that gives you a clue to their hardiness. Many dwarf mugo pines are hardy to USDA zone 2, and they do not do well in areas with overly hot summers.

A dwarf mugo pine is a slow-growing shrub that can take up to 10 years to achieve its mature size. This allows you to plant it in tight spaces without needing to prune it too often.

Mugo pine is seldom severely damaged by deer, which is another selling point.

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1. Pinus mugo ‘Paul’s Dwarf’. Missouri Botanical Garden
2. Steiner, Lynn M. Black and Decker The Complete Guide to Upper Midwest Gardening. Cool Springs Press, 2012