Mugo Pine care — light, water, toxicity and hardiness
Mugo Pine (Pinus mugo) wants full sun and a drink about every 14 days once established. It is hardy in USDA zones 2 to 7. It is safe to have around pets.
| scientific name | Pinus mugo |
|---|---|
| family | Pinaceae |
| category | shrub |
| plant type | perennial |
| light | full sun |
| water cadence days | 14 |
| mature height cm | 300 |
| min zone | 2 |
| max zone | 7 |
| frost tolerant | true |
| toxic to pets | false |
| toxic to humans | false |
| edible | false |
How often should I water Mugo Pine?
Candle-prune in spring to keep it compact.
Who eats it
Palatable to people: no.
What it needs
Its shade tolerance is high. Its moisture use is low. Its drought tolerance is low. It wants at least about 35 inches of rain a year. Above roughly 60 inches of annual rain it struggles. It tolerates soil down to pH 5.5. It tolerates soil up to pH 8.0. Its fertility requirement is medium. Adapted to coarse, sandy soils: yes. Adapted to medium, loamy soils: yes. Adapted to fine, clay soils: no. It needs at least 90 frost-free days. Its salt tolerance is medium. Its tolerance of chalky soil is medium. Fire resistant: yes. It has been recorded down to -38°F. It suppresses neighbours chemically: no.
How it grows
It grows as a multiple stem form. Its growth rate is slow. Its lifespan is long. It puts on most of its growth in spring and summer. It resprouts after damage: no. Coppices: no. Its tolerance of hedging is medium. At maturity it reaches about 10.0 feet. By twenty years it is about 4 feet. Its roots go down at least 16 inches. Its shape is decumbent. It holds its leaves through winter: yes.
What it looks like
The flowers are yellow. Conspicuous in flower: no. The foliage is dark green. The foliage texture is coarse. In summer the canopy is dense in porosity. In winter it is dense in porosity. Fall colour: no. The fruit or seed is brown. The fruit persists on the plant: no. The fruit is conspicuous: no.
Growing more of it
Propagated by seed: no. Propagated by cuttings: yes. Propagated by container: yes. Propagated by bare root: yes. Propagated by bulb: no. Propagated by corm: no. Propagated by tubers: no. Cold stratification required: no. Commercial availability: routinely available.
Source: Drafted from US Cooperative Extension horticulture guidance; pending HUMAN-05 review (issue 280) · ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List · 2026-09-02