Pinus mugo Mumpitz - Dwarf Mountain Pine

Pinus mugo 'Mumpitz' is a dwarf form of the mountain pine, easily recognizable by its pyramidal habit. Its dense foliage consists of numerous, attractive bright green, short, stiff needles. They form a neat sleeve around the branches which are crowned by small brown cones. Slow-growing, it does not exceed 1.20m (4ft) in height after 10 years. Very hardy, undemanding in terms of soil type and wind-resistant, it is a plant for full sun, or possibly light semi-shade. It is also suitable for growing in containers.

Pinus mugo, also known as the Mountain Pine, is an evergreen conifer from the Pinaceae family, endemic to the mountains of Europe. It is found in the sub-alpine zone, from the Spanish sierras, through the high Alpine and Pyrenean massifs, to the Balkans, escaping the summer heat. It descends only to an altitude of 200 m (650ft) in Central Europe. In the wild, it slowly reaches 3 to 4 m (10-13ft) in height and spread, adopting a wind-swept shape that reflects its windswept habitat. It is a very hardy species, well adapted to the mountain climate. It is also called the prostrate pine due to its very knotty wood and twisted, often creeping branches.

The 'Mumpitz' variety  differs from the wild species mainly because of its uniform pyramid shape, which is more or less conical depending on the specimen and its age. Its foliage is a beautiful, bright green, with fairly rigid, medium-sized needles (around 4 cm), spread evenly all around the branches. The density of needles forms a very decorative structure, which is particularly interesting to use in a contemporary garden. This dwarf conifer forms small brown cones at the tips of its branches, adding to the plant's ornamental appeal.
This 'Mumpitz' pine is very adaptable to soil conditions, which can range from acid to alkaline, and from moist, even damp, to moderately dry.  It grows best in full sun, but can tolerate light shade. It is highly resistant to cold (-30°C/-22°F) and wind.

The 'Mumpitz' mountain pine will be at home in any garden, urban or rural, even the smallest, planted as a free-standing specimen, in a bed or a rockery. It can also be used in a large pot on the terrace or balcony. It will fit in well in an alpine or contemporary garden, where its distinctive appearance will be a definite asset. It is also a good candidate for Japanese gardens, where its attractive qualities can be enhanced by appropriate pruning. In a wild garden, it is great combined with grasses, very complementary because of their light movement in the wind, such as the golden foxtail grass, whose luminous foliage contrasts nicely with that of the pine. In a rock garden, conifers with different growth habits and/or foliage colours create an all year round decorative display. The creeping Juniperus squamata 'Blue Carpet' with superb blue-silver foliage is a perfect companion in this respect, as is the ground-covering Juniperus horizontalis 'Golden Carpet, but with golden to orange foliage in winter.