Pinus mugo Sherwood Compact - Dwarf Mountain Pine

The  Pinus mugo 'Sherwood Compact' is a dwarf form of the mountain pine, with a particularly decorative habit. Its dark green needles, rigid and slightly twisted, densely cover its short branches, giving this small conifer a hedgehog-like appearance. Slow-growing, it spreads to form a cushion that is one and a half times wider than it is tall, with a very dense growth. A graphic plant par excellence, very hardy and not demanding in terms of soil, it will be perfectly at home in a rockery or a contemporary garden. 

The Pinus mugo, also known as the mountain pine, is an evergreen conifer in the Pineaceae family, endemic to the European mountains. It is found in the subalpine zone, avoiding summer heat, from the Spanish sierras, through the high Alpine and Pyrenean massifs, to the Balkans. It only descends to an altitude of 200 meters (656 feet 2 inches) in Central Europe. In nature, it slowly reaches 3 to 4 meters (9 feet 10 inches to 13 feet 1 inches) in all directions, adopting a tousled silhouette that reflects its wind-swept habitat. It is a very hardy species, well adapted to the mountain climate. It is also called the creeping pine due to its very knotty wood and often creeping branches.
This 'Sherwood Compact' variety is distinguished from the wild species by its reduced size, its compact spreading habit, and its beautiful decorative foliage. The dark green needles, short and rigid, are slightly curved upwards and evenly distributed throughout the diameter of the branches, resembling bottle brushes. The sight of these slender leaves surrounding the lovely small brownish-purple cones that form at the end of branches is simply delightful. As the branches are of different lengths, they create an irregular surface that provides a particularly interesting aesthetic for a contemporary garden.
Slow-growing like most of its cousins, this 'Sherwood Compact' mugo pine will form a spreading cushion of 1 meter (3 feet 4 inches) in height and 1.50 meters (4 feet 11 inches) in width in the space of ten years. Very adaptable in terms of soil, which can be acidic, neutral, or alkaline, as well as moist, even wet, to moderately dry. It prefers full sun, but can tolerate light shade. Very cold-resistant (-30°C (-22 °F)) as well as wind-resistant, it is not afraid of snow. This robust conifer will be equally at home in an urban garden or in the fresh air of the countryside exposed to harsh weather conditions. 

The 'Sherwood Compact' mountain pine is an excellent choice for rockeries, where its small size and characteristic habit will shine among light-coloured rocks. You can also plant it in a container to enhance a terrace (in this case, monitor watering in summer, as these growing conditions can be more drying than in open ground). Its unique design will also be valued in a Japanese garden, as well as, of course, in a contemporary garden. It can be associated with grasses, such as Pennisetum alopecuroides Moudry with dark spikes, whose lightness and movement in the wind will contrast with the rigidity of our little pine. Other dwarf conifers with a prostrate habit or shrubs with foliage as graphic as its own will also be good companions. The bright leaves of the 'Illumination' periwinkle will go well with the dark mass of this mugo pine, without stealing the show from it.