Pinus Mugo Pumilio

Pinus Mugo Pumilio is also known as the Swiss Mountain Pine or Dwarf Mountain Pine Pumilio Group. This is a low-growing, slow-growing spreading coniferous evergreen shrub. The needles are long and mid-green and give a bushy appearance to the plant. Mature plants produce attractive brown cones. Pinus Mugo Pumilio is the most commonly used of the low growing pines as it has a very bushy appearance and is slightly faster growing than other varieties. 

A member of the Pumilio Group of the family Pinaceae Family, the Genus Pinus can occur as low-growing shrubs or large evergreen trees, some with quite attractive bark. The Genus characteristically develops an irregular outline once established. Leaves are long and needle-like in bundles of 2,3, or 5 typically. The cones may fall or sometimes remain on a given tree for years, depending on the variety. The Pumilio Group is known for its low, spreading, bushy growth which will form small shrubs with needles about 4 centimetres in length. Their cones are attractive, small, ovid in shape, and brown in colour. They first originated at 1500-2500 metres in the Alps and were first introduced to the UK in the 1950s.

Pinus Mugo Pumilio Group can be considered a hardy evergreen withstanding temperatures as low as -40OC. They are also tolerant of coastal winds and do well in either an exposed or sheltered placement.

Pinus Mugo Pumilio or Dwarf Mountain Pine prefers full sun with aspects by priority from South to North to West to East facing. They also prefer well drained soils, across the full spectrum of texture composition from loam, chalk, clay, or sand. A near neutral or slightly acidic pH will yield the best results with this shrub. They are slow growers, achieving ultimate height of 2.5-4.0 metres and a spread of approximately 4-8 metres over the course of their 50+ years to full maturity.

Suggested garden locations and uses are many. Pinus Mugo Pumilio complements a large rock garden or a Japanese garden well. Use them to create a favourable dimension as a flower garden’s border.  They can persist and do well in Coastal Gardens and create an interesting, low shrub addition to any informal garden. They can even be grown in containers, as a bushy ground cover, topiary, urban gardens, as a specimen, or in a woodland garden location.

Swiss Mountain Pine will attract Songbirds and capture a pleasant visual attraction. They are resistant to Deer, can tolerate drought, are not prone to many diseases, and are very low maintenance.  They do, however, respond nicely to some degree of shaping. 

These pines are suitable for windy and coastal areas - other plants for windy or exposed areas include chamaerops humilis palms.