Mugo Pine

Every yard needs evergreen plants to help balance the landscape design and add interest in winter. Go ahead, join the fan club of Mugo Pine (Pinus mugo var. mugo), a reliable, beautiful, small evergreen.

In its native habitat of the mountains of Germany and Poland, the Mugo Pine is a low-growing variety with a dense growth habit and rounded nature. Rely on it's excellent form, texture and color to deliver interest throughout your yard.

Long a staple of foundation plantings, people are now using these popular evergreens as a sculptural accent plant throughout the yard. Use this low-growing variety to make an impactful statement and add vivid, dark-green color to your landscape in every season.

Bonsai enthusiasts love working with the architectural Mugo Pine. They carefully sculpt these small plants into works of art that can live for centuries. Why not use a full-size plant to offer the same kind of striking contribution in your yard?

Please don't underestimate this plant because it doesn't have showy flowers or fall color. The year-round color and spreading, rounded form adds so much interest.

This Mugo Pine variety grows a bit larger than our Dwarf Mugo Pine. Use them both as coordinating partner plants in a special collection.

Mugo Pine is an outstanding choice for a unique evergreen shrub to add structure to your winter landscape. It hugs the ground, and adds effortless style to informal designs.

Mugo Pine is seldom bothered by deer. It thrives without any special care from you, even in poor soils.

Order yours today and get started with this year-round beauty. You'll appreciate it's rugged charm.

How to Use Mugo Pine in the Landscape

Mugo Pines never get leggy with bare stems at the base. Instead, they are lush, full and hug the ground. Use them as a wonderful facer plant on the sunny side of larger shrubs like Witch Hazel or Ninebark.

These free-form plants look best when they are allowed to fill their space without crowding. We recommend planning for the largest height and spread listed in the Plant Highlights.

However, you can create a solid, low hedge with multiple Mugo Pines without any problem. Spacing for a hedge is 3 feet on center, measuring from the center of one to the center of the next.

You can easily mass plant them over larger areas. Use a zigzagging planting pattern in staggered rows. Plant 3 feet apart on center.

It's best to use Dwarf Mugo Pine in foundation plantings under low windows. This standard Mugo Pine can spread wide and get taller over time, especially when it's happy in the planting site.

They thrive in rocky soil, and make excellent specimen plants for rock gardens. Their natural grace is a good fit for the aesthetic of Japanese Gardens, as well. They'll become a perfect counterpoint to the airiness of Japanese Maples.

Mugo Pine is fantastic in mixed shrub borders. This tough plant will do well in a big, open, exposed area.

They'll certainly be appreciated on slopes or terraced yards.Dig in a cascading series of large boulders as part of your hillside design, then plant the Mugo above it to soften and integrate the look of this special feature.

#ProPlantTips for Care

This highly adaptable plant is very hardy. It won't give you any trouble or require special care.

In the mountains, Mugo Pine often grows in rocky, shallow soil. It will perform best in full sun and in well-drained soils.

Mugo Pine adds size in one flush of new growth each spring. The only pruning that should be done is called candle pruning.

In spring, the new growth that elongates on each branch tip is called a candle. They are about the size of a pencil.

To reduce the size of long branches, use your hands to break or snap the candles. Remove about half of the candle. Remember to break them, don't cut them for the best results.

Regular candle pruning will result in a dense, lush plant. No need to prune all the candles. Instead, strategically shape and sculpt your plant to control the overall size.

Mugo Pine sheds needles, just like all evergreens. They will hold the last two seasons of needles, and drop the oldest needles in the fall. With this schedule, they will always remain green in the landscape for you.

Order this fabulous, stalwart, interesting evergreen from the expert growers at LetsPlantify.com today. You'll grow to adore your Mugo Pine!