Pinus mugo — Mugo pine
![Plant form: Pinus mugo. ~ By Charles Brun. ~ Copyright © 2024. ~ brunc[at]wsu.edu ~ Pacific Northwest Plants - www.pnwplants.wsu.edu/](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pinaceae/pinus-mugo-ha-pnw.jpg)
![Fruits: Pinus mugo. ~ By Charles Brun. ~ Copyright © 2024. ~ brunc[at]wsu.edu ~ Pacific Northwest Plants - www.pnwplants.wsu.edu/](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pinaceae/pinus-mugo-fr-pnw.jpg)
![Flowers: Pinus mugo. ~ By Bruce Patterson. ~ Copyright © 2024 Bruce Patterson. ~ foxpatterson[at]comcast.net](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pinaceae/pinus-mugo-fl-bpatterson.jpg)
![Winter buds: Pinus mugo. ~ By Bruce Patterson. ~ Copyright © 2024 Bruce Patterson. ~ foxpatterson[at]comcast.net](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pinaceae/pinus-mugo-wb-bpatterson.jpg)
![Bark: Pinus mugo. ~ By Bruce Patterson. ~ Copyright © 2024 Bruce Patterson. ~ foxpatterson[at]comcast.net](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pinaceae/pinus-mugo-ba-bpatterson.jpg)
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Facts
Mugo pine gets its common and species name from the Italian word, "mugho," for "dwarf. And true to its name, this is a low-growing, shrubby pine that is often planted in rock gardens and other settings for its pleasing, rounded shape (however, some cultivars can grow up to 20 feet or 6 m tall!). Its tough, cylindrical needles are good at saving water in the face of cold, desiccating winds in its northern, native habitats in the mountains of central Europe.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats)
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Growth form
- the plant is a shrub (with multiple stems, or prostrate, growing close to the ground)
- Leaf form
- the leaves are needle-like
- Leaf cross-section
- the needle-like leaves are rounded, or flattened on one side (can be rolled between the fingers)
- Leaf arrangement
- the needle-like leaves are in clusters or held on short shoots
- Seed cone form
- the seed cone is longer than wide, with woody scales attached at the base
- Leaf clustering
- the needle-like leaves are in bundles or clusters of two
- Seed cone shape
- the seed cone is ovoid (egg-shaped)
- Leaves overlapping
- the needle-like leaves are separate and do not hide the twig surface
-
Fruits or seeds
- Seed cone base
- the base of the seed cone does not look hollow
- Seed cone bracts
- the bracts are covered by the seed cone scales
- Seed cone form
- the seed cone is longer than wide, with woody scales attached at the base
- Seed cone scales
- the visible portion of the scale of the closed seed cone is thickened at its base
- Seed cone shape
- the seed cone is ovoid (egg-shaped)
- Seed cone symmetry
- the seed cone is not symmetrical
- Seed cone umbo position
- the raised portion is at the center of the seed cone scale
- Seed wings
- the seeds have wing-like projections
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant is a shrub (with multiple stems, or prostrate, growing close to the ground)
-
Leaves
- Leaf arrangement
- the needle-like leaves are in clusters or held on short shoots
- Leaf base
- NA
- Leaf clustering
- the needle-like leaves are in bundles or clusters of two
- Leaf cross-section
- the needle-like leaves are rounded, or flattened on one side (can be rolled between the fingers)
- Leaf duration
- the needle-like leaves remain green all winter
- Leaf form
- the leaves are needle-like
- Leaf glands
- there are no glands on the underside of the needle-like leaves
- Leaf stalks
- the needle-like leaves do not have a leaf stalk
- Leaf types
- there are two distinct types of needle-like leaves on the twig
- Leaves overlapping
- the needle-like leaves are separate and do not hide the twig surface
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Specific habitat
- man-made or disturbed habitats
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Bark resin blisters
- there are no resin blisters on the bark
- Leaves on shoots
- there are needle-like leaves growing in tight clusters on a short, knob-like shoot
- Twig bloom
- there is no bloom on the twig
- Twig hair type
- the twigs have few or no hairs on them
- Twig hairs
- the twig does not have hairs
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
2. Pinus mugo Turra E
Mugo pine. MA, NH; also reported from ME by Magee and Ahles (1999), but truly naturalized populations are unknown. Lawns and abandoned lots.
Native to North America?
No