Plant Type

Tree, Conifer, Shrub

 

Height Range

1-3', 3-6', 6-12', 12-25'

 

Flower Color

n/a

 

Flower Season

n/a

 

Leaf Color

Dark Green

 

Bark Color

Grey

 

Fruit Color

Brown

 

Fruit Season

Intermittent

Sun

Full

 

Water

Low

 

Growth Rate

Slow

 

Soil Type

Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

Formal, Japanese, Meadow, Ranch, Woodland

 

Accenting Features

Specimen, Unusual Foliage, Unusual Shape

 

Seasonal Interest

Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Shrub Border, Foundation, Patio, With Rocks

 

Special Uses

Container, Hedge, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

Birds

Mugo Pine is an evergreen shrub or small tree that grows slowly, from 5 to 20 feet tall and half as wide. There is a great deal of variation in size, depending on source. Needles are long and dark green. Cones are 1 to 2 inches long, oval, and tawny to dark brown. Generally a bushy, twisted, somewhat open pine, mostly grown as a shrub. If you are wanting a dwarf mugo, make certain the plant tag reads P. mugo v mugo or P. mugo pumila.

Grow in full sun in well drained soil. Useful in shrub borders and mass plantings. Growth is slow, generally, and size varies. See guide for tips on pruning evergreens. Candle length is a good indicator of the rate of growth and the ultimate size of a mugo pine, which is handy as there is a great deal of variation in character within the species.