Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  Mugho Pine, Swiss Mountain Pine

Brand:  Iseli Nursery

Description:

A true miniature variety that is very short needled and super-slow growing; a tiny green treasure that is used for miniature gardens, resembling a small pin cushion; a wonderful addition to the rock garden or container plantings

Ornamental Features

Donna's Mini Mugo Pine is a dwarf conifer which is primarily valued in the garden for its interestingly mounded form. It has attractive dark green evergreen foliage. The tiny needles are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Donna's Mini Mugo Pine is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub. When pruning is necessary, it is recommended to only trim back the new growth of the current season, other than to remove any dieback. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Donna's Mini Mugo Pine is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Donna's Mini Mugo Pine will grow to be about 10 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 18 inches. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Donna's Mini Mugo Pine makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a canvas of foliage against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.