Pinus pumilio Seeds | Mugo Pine
LATIN NAME: Pinus pumilio
COMMON NAME: Mugo Pine
Plant Profile
Mugo Pine (Pinus pumilio) is a low, creeping evergreen conifer of the pine family (Pinaceae), native to the high mountains of eastern Siberia and northeastern Asia. It forms dense thickets 1-3 m tall, with paired needles and small cones, hugging the ground above the treeline. It is the Siberian counterpart of the European mountain pine and one of the hardiest of all conifers.
Science & Biotechnology
Within the Pinus group, Pinus pumilio is of continuing interest to researchers working on plant diversity, seed biology and the selection of improved garden forms. Compact, alpine habit of mugo pine gives it a recognised place in research on high-mountain dwarf pines of great pine group, and pumilio species appears in studies of ornamental rock-garden conifers and windy-altitude growth. Raising it from seed today is a matter of ordinary good practice rather than specialist skill.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Mugo Pine for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. In cool, open ground, mugo pine dwarfs rock garden with rounded, dark mound. Dense, low form suits rock garden and tub, cones feed birds, and plant holds slopes and the banks. It grows well in well-drained, sunny ground. Beyond the establishment year, its needs are simple and few.
Pines are a materia medica of their own: vitamin-C-rich needle teas saved explorers from scurvy, pine pollen is a tonic food in China, bark proanthocyanidins are studied for circulation, and resin gave turpentine, rosin and naval stores to history.
Growing from Seed
Sow fresh seed of Mugo Pine under ordinary good conditions. Broadcast the seed thinly over a fine, free-draining compost, sieve a little more compost on top, and water with a fine rose. A spell of cool, moist conditions ahead of sowing brings the seed along nicely and supports even germination. Transplant the sturdiest seedlings to their permanent spots and let them develop without disturbance.
Our Take
Once established, Mugo Pine largely looks after itself. Moisture matters most while plants are young; established plants cope with far more.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Mugo Pine often pair it with these related subjects: