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shrub

Dwarf mugo pine

Pinus mugo var. pumilio

Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.

Hardy in zones 3–7, Dwarf mugo pine is a slow-growing evergreen shrub. It grows 3–5 ft tall and 5–8 ft wide, so plant it 6 ft apart. Give it full sun and little water once established. It is grown for its year-round foliage rather than its flowers. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the structure role: a shrub that holds the bed's shape at the back all year. Deer may browse it when other food is short, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Southeast, Florida and the Gulf, Texas and the South-Central states and the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.

Facts from our plant table

Botanical name
Pinus mugo var. pumilio
Plant type
Shrub, evergreen
Hardiness zones
3 to 7
Sun
Full sun (6+ hours)
Water
Low
Soil
Needs good drainage; tolerates poor and alkaline soil.
Mature size
3–5 ft tall × 5–8 ft wide
Spacing
6 ft apart (centre to centre)
Growth rate
Slow
Bloom
Grown for foliage
Roles in a bed
Structure
Styles
modern, low water
Deer resistance
Medium: browsed when deer are hungry
Pets
Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Not on the ASPCA toxic list; chewed needles may cause mild mouth or stomach irritation.
Native to
Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
Pot size and price
3-gallon pot, typically $35–$55 (easy to find)
Plant in
Spring or Fall
First-year watering
Water weekly through the first summer to root it in, then taper off; established plants need little extra water.
Pruning
Pinch new candles by half in late spring to keep it compact.

Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings (A-D); state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.

Good companions

The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Dwarf mugo pine, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.

If you can't find it

Substitutes our engine offers for Dwarf mugo pine: same role in the bed, passing the same rules. Some of them are flagged toxic to dogs or cats: check the pet note before you swap.

How this page was made

This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.

Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.

Sources

  • Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
  • ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
  • Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
  • State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
  • Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)

Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants