Pinus Mugo ‘Pumuckl’ (Mountain Pine)

A neat pine with an almost spherical, rounded shape and bluey, grey-green needles. Adorned with decorative woody cones from about October, this dwarf pine reaches an ultimate height and spread of around 50cm. Not big, but with bags of character.

Deeply wind-resistant and very well-suited to urban growing. A pine for potting at elevation on rooftops or planting closer to sea level where it will hug the ground in happy, voluptuous mounds. We stock a travelling show dwarf pines and we do love this one. It is ideal for gardens on the smaller side, or in exposed and more atmospheric conditions (polite terminology for ‘wind-blasted’) and of course Japanese inspired gardens. Their structure and form is essential here and we plant them to be viewed as if trees, in miniature. This is a form they hold well and require little intervention: perhaps a judicious snip to raise the crown or reveal a glimpse of sturdy trunk, but that’s it.

‘Pumuckl’, incidentally, refers to a mischievous sprite or goblin, from Germanic folklore and usually invisible to humans. We tend to use lots of these ones all over the show for all to see. Because they’re super.

Best in full sun but will take light shade and makes few demands regarding where you plonk it. It will take most moist but well drained soils in exposed or sheltered positions. Not especially fond of salt-laden winds so do plant cautiously if you’re by the seaside (fine if sheltered though)

N.B. When clipping several plants with the same tool, have a bucket containing a 5% bleach solution and swish your blades around for 30 seconds between plants to sterilise them. This will help avoid the chance of cross contamination of disease.

As with all woody plants, plant high, exposing as much of the taper at the base of the trunk as possible. Allowing soil to accumulate round the base of a tree can be fatal. Keep very well watered when first planted.