Mugho (Mugo) Pine..........A Special Little Plant..... For a Special Place

Pinus mugo

Swiss Mountain Pine

Mughos are not for everyones taste, but where there is an opportunity to use one, then I say get after it! This little fellow has so much character it just begs to be shown off. Very often you will see the mugho in a bonsai type of situation and they just shine in a container as a specimen plant.

Gardening and landscaping should be fun and mughos can help provide that fun appeal, use in a rock garden setting nestled up against a large boulder.......I love when visitors stop a moment and stare at the plant and then say "What is that". Now that is fun (yeah..... I know, I am easily amused).
The mughos like sandy acid soil the best, so that means you are going to have to do some bed prep for our clay soils, but with all that said, they seem to adapt to the alkline soils fairly well. They will need regular additions of chelated iron to help keep the cholorsis at bay, and they really should have a little relief from the Texas afternoon sun (although many site this as a full sun plant...give it a small break). They will do well in zones 3 through 8, so you blog followers in the "Northern Areas" (may God Bless Your winter toughness) feel free to use these at will.........

These diminutive little pines are native to the mountains of central and southern Europe. So the next time your visitors ask what is that? You can pause (not too long) and then with botanical authority say " well this a dwarf specimen pine from the mountains of central and southern Europe." Hey, they don't need to know that you may have never been north of Texarkana..................

Enjoy the Life!!