''Pinus mugo'', known as dwarf mountain pine, mountain pine, scrub mountain pine, Swiss mountain pine, bog pine, creeping pine, or mugo pine, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

conifer Conifers () are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a sin ...

, native to high elevation

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

s from southwestern to

Central Europe Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...

and

Southeast Europe Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe is a geographical sub-region of Europe, consisting primarily of the region of the Balkans, as well as adjacent regions and Archipelago, archipelagos. There are overlapping and conflicting definitions of t ...

Description

The tree has dark green

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

("needles") in pairs, long. The cones are nut-brown, long. Custura Bucurei.jpg, ''Pinus mugo'' subsp. ''mugo'', Romania Pinus mugo uncinata trees.jpg, ''Pinus mugo'' subsp. ''uncinata'' Swiss National Park 007.JPG, ''Pinus mugo'' subsp. ''rotundata'',

Swiss National Park The Swiss National Park (; ; ; ) is located in the Western Rhaetian Alps, in eastern Switzerland. It lies within the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Graubünden, between Zernez, S-chanf, Scuol, and the Fuorn Pass in the Engadin valley on the ...

Бор кривул 01.JPG, On Jakupica mountain, Republic of North Macedonia

Taxonomy

There are three

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

: * ''Pinus mugo'' subsp. ''mugo'' — in the east and south of the range (southern & eastern

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

, Balkan Peninsula), a low, shrubby, often multi-stemmed plant to tall with matt-textured symmetrical cones, which are thin-scaled. * ''Pinus mugo'' subsp. ''uncinata'' — in the west and north of the range (from the Pyrenees northeast to Poland), a larger, usually single-stemmed tree to tall with glossy-textured asymmetrical cones, the scales of which are much thicker on the upper side.

Some

botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

s treat the western subspecies as a separate species, ''Pinus uncinata'', others as only a variety, ''P. mugo'' var. ''rostrata''. This subspecies in the Pyrenees marks the alpine tree line or timberline, the edge of the habitat at which trees are capable of growing.

* ''Pinus mugo'' subsp. ''rotundata'' — hybrid subspecies, of the two subspecies above that intergrade extensively in the western Alps and northern Carpathians. An old name for the species, ', is still occasionally seen, and a typographical error "''mugho''" (first made in a prominent 18th-century encyclopedia) is still often repeated.

Distribution

''Pinus mugo'' is native to the subalpine zones of the Pyrenees, Alps, Ore Mountains, Carpathians, northern and central Apennines, and higher Balkan Peninsula mountains

Rila Rila (, ) is the highest mountain range of Bulgaria, the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, and Southeast Europe. It is situated in southwestern Bulgaria and forms part of the Rila–Rhodope Mountains, Rhodope Massif. The highest summit is Musala at an e ...

, Pirin, Korab, Accursed Mountains, etc. It is usually found from , occasionally as low as in the north of the range in Germany and Poland, and as high as in the south of the range in Bulgaria and the Pyrenees. Also in Kosovo it is found in Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park. In Scandinavia, Finland and the Baltic region, ''P. mugo'' was introduced in the late 1700s and the 1800s, when it was planted in coastal regions for sand dune stabilization, and later as ornamental plants around residences. In Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the species has naturalised and become invasive, displacing fragile dune and dune heath habitats. In Estonia and Lithuania ''P. mugo'' only occasionally naturalises outside plantations, sometimes establishing in raised bogs.

Ecology

''Pinus mugo'' is classed as a wilding conifer, and spreads as an invasive species in the high country of New Zealand, coastal Denmark, and other areas of

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

Cultivation

''Pinus mugo'' is widely cultivated as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

, for use as a small tree or shrub, planted in gardens and in larger pots and planters. It is also used in

Japanese garden are traditional gardens whose designs are accompanied by Japanese aesthetics and philosophical ideas, avoid artificial ornamentation, and highlight the natural landscape. Plants and worn, aged materials are generally used by Japanese garden desig ...

style landscapes, and for larger bonsai specimens. In Kosovo, its trunk is used as construction material for the vernacular architecture in the mountains called "Bosonica".

Cultivars

Numerous cultivars have been selected. The following have been given the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. It includes the full range of cultivated p ...

: * 'Humpy' * 'Kissen' * 'Mops' * 'Ophir' Cultivars with seasonal changes in foliage color include ''Pinus mugo'' 'Wintergold' and ''Pinus mugo'' 'Ophir'.

Uses

The mugo pine is used in cooking. The cones can be made into a syrup called "pinecone syrup", "pine cone syrup", or mugolio. Buds and young cones are harvested from the wild in the spring and left to dry in the sun over the summer and into autumn. The cones and buds gradually drip syrup, which is then boiled down to a concentrate and combined with sugar. Alternatively, the pinecones can be macerated in sugar, fermented, and strained.

Gallery

Pinus mugo Rila 1.jpg, ''Pinus mugo'' (subsp. ''mugo'') habitat. Rila National Park in Bulgaria. Pinus mugo Blüten.jpg, Female cones and young shoots Zwiesel 2014 - 5 044.JPG, Male

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by most types of flowers of seed plants for the purpose of sexual reproduction. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced Gametophyte#Heterospory, microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm ...

producing strobili File:Junge Zapfen.jpg, Young cones

References

Sources

* Christensen, K.I. (1987)
Taxonomic revision of the ''Pinus mugo'' complex and ''P.'' × ''rhaetica'' (''P. mugo'' × ''sylvestris'') (Pinaceae)
''Nordic J. Bot''. 7: 383–408.

External links

* ttp://www.euforgen.org/species/pinus-mugo/ ''Pinus mugo''an
''Pinus uncinata''
- information, genetic conservation units and related resources. European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN) * {{Authority control mugo Flora of Europe Flora of the Alps Flora of the Carpathians Flora of the Pyrenees Flora of Austria Flora of Bulgaria Flora of the Czech Republic Flora of Germany Flora of Italy Flora of Poland Flora of Slovakia Flora of Spain Flora of Switzerland Trees of Europe Plants described in 1764 Least concern plants Edible plants Garden plants of Europe Plants used in bonsai Ornamental trees