PlantFiles: Mugo Pine, Mugho Pine, Swiss Mountain Pine, Mountain Pine
Pinus mugo

Very susceptible to pine sawfly.

I have read in books that this plant was in introduced in the US from Europe in 1779. Pinus mugo or Swiss Mountain Pine is a shrub to about 3.5 meters tall (this varies) in its mountainous native habitat of central Europe, eastern Spain, and the Ukraine. This pine is root-hardy in most areas and thus useful as a container plant or Bonsai.

Cultivars:
'Aurea' - A semi-dwarf form, light green (Vis. 4) needles
turn yellow color in winter.
'Big Tuna' - An larger selection with a dense, compact,
upright growth habit.
'Corley's Mat' - A low, mat-forming plant.
'Elfengren' - A low plant with dark green foliage.
'Enci' - A low plant, 3 feet tall but 5 feet wide.
'Gnom' ('Gnome') - A dwarf that becomes conical to
upright with age.
'Gold Spire' - The new growth emerges yellow but fades
to green.
'Green Candle' - A rounded plant with dark green foliage.
'Hesse' - A large, dense, rounded shrub.
'Honeycomb' - Foliage is golden fall through winter.
'Mitsch Mini' - A low, spreading plant (Vis. 5) with
twisted needles.
'Mops' - A compact plant that requires no pruning to
maintain its shape.
'Mugo' - A dwarf variety that requires regular pruning
to thicken and maintain its low profile (Vis. 1).
'Paul's Dwarf' - A slow-growing selection with short
needles. An Iseli selection.
'Pot o' Gold' - Winter foliage is yellow.
'Prostrata' - A prostrate form.
var. pumilio - A commonly used ornamental where a small
pine is desired. It is grown from seed and so plants
will vary considerably (Vis. 2).
var. rostrata - A conical, compact form that produces
small cones when mature. Probably a hybrid with P.
uncinata.
'Sherwood Compact' - A compact form with dark green
foliage. Very choice Mugo...
'Slowmound' - A dwarf, 12 inches tall and 16 inches wide.
'Tannenbaum' - A compact, pyramidal tree with good winter
hardiness.
'Valley Cushion' - A miniature forming a small, dark
green mound.
'White Bud' - A dwarf on which the buds are coated with
resin in winter making them appear white. A wonderful
selection.
'GNOM' Very dense, globose habit, with a good deep green color. A 35 year old plant was about 4 meters high and broad. Distributed in 1927 by den Ouden & Son, Boskoop Netherlands. Very hardy. H:4' W:4'

'MITSCH MINI' This cute little bun-shaped plant is one of the slowest growing of all dwarf conifers and was selected by John Mitsch of Aurora Oregon. The needles are light green and both them and the branches are very short creating an impression of a clump of moss.

'MOPS' Mugo Mops is a very slow growing selection with a dense and globose habit becoming nearly as high as broad. It has been in cultivation since around 1951 and was distributed by Hugo Hooftman from Boskoop, Netherlands. The height after ten years is 30" high and 3' wide.

'WINTER GOLD' A low, wide and open growing plant to about 1 meter. It turns an attractive bright golden-yellow color in winter. Nice accent plant. It originated before 1969 in the Draijer B. V. Nursery, in Heemstede, Holland.

Mugo pines are used extensively in this area for screens and hedges. They can grow to over 6 feet tall but can be controlled by pruning. They provide some much-needed colour during the long winter and look great with a bit of snow on them. They also provide habitat for birds.

There are a great many cultivars of this dwarf pine. Mughus is one of the original strains along with pumilis. It acquired a jekyl and hyde reputation in the seventies when sold as a dwarf since many varieties speeded up into good sized bushes.

One source cites an early 19th century plant encyclopedia as the first instance (and source) of the erroneous spelling 'Mugho'. Incorrect or not, it's still frequently spelled thusly :)