Mature Height/Spread: Mugo pine (Pinus mugo) grows to a height of 15 to 20 feet and a width of 20 to 25 feet. The mature height and spread of some dwarf cultivars is only 4 to 5 feet.

Growth Rate: The growth rate of mugo pine is slow (less than 12 inches per year).

Ornamental Features: The needlelike, evergreen foliage is grouped in pairs. Its branches have a bottle-brush effect. The needles persist five or more years, but often turn yellowish green in winter, especially on the tips. The cones appear solitary or two to three together. They are 1 to 2 inches long and 1 inch wide.

Landscape Use: This species is valued mainly for its dwarf cultivars which are useful in foundation plantings. Mugo pine does not produce a tap root and is easy to transplant. It prefers partial shade to full sun and moist soil with a pH of 4 to 6.

Mugo pine can be pruned annually to thicken the plant and keep the dwarf habit.

Problems: Mugo pine is susceptible to rust, wood rots, borers, sawflies and especially scale (often very serious).

Cultivars:

* ‘Compacta’, a very dense and round shrub that grows to 4 feet by 5 feet.
* ‘Gnom’, a dense, dark-green mound, to 2 feet high and 3 feet wide.
* ‘Mops’ grows to 3 feet tall and the same in width and is considered one of the better forms.