| Mountain Pine Pinus mugo |
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|---|---|
| Foliage and cones of Mountain Pine | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Pinales |
| Family: | Pinaceae |
| Genus: | Pinus |
| Subgenus: | Pinus |
| Species: | P. mugo |
| Binomial name | |
| Pinus mugo Turra |
|
| Subspecies, cultivars, and forms[1] | |
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P. mugo subsp. mugo Turra - Dwarf Mountain Pine |
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| Synonyms | |
Pinus mugo, the Mountain Pine or Mugo Pine, is a high-altitude European pine, found in the Pyrenees, Alps, Erzgebirge, Carpathians, northern Apennines and Balkan Peninsula mountains from (mostly) 1,000 m to 2,200 m, occasionally as low as 200 m in the north of the range in Germany and Poland, and as high as 2,700 m in the south of the range in Bulgaria or in the Pyrenees .
Contents |
There are major two subspecies:
Both subspecies have similar foliage, with dark green leaves ('needles') in pairs, 3–7 cm long. The cones are nut-brown, 2.5-5.5 cm long, symmetrical, thin-scaled and matt texture in subsp. mugo, asymmetrical with thick scales on the upper side of the cone, thin on the lower side, and glossy, in subsp. uncinata.
The species is highly valued in horticulture, particularly the smaller subsp. mugo. Mountain pines, especially subsp. mugo, are often used by homeowners and landscape architects for home security purposes. The needles deter unauthorised persons from entering private properties, and may prevent break-ins if planted under windows and near drainpipes. The aesthetic characteristics of mountain pines, in conjunction with their home security qualities, makes them a considerable alternative to artificial fences and walls. They are widely used for ornamental purposes in parts of North America.
An old name for the species Pinus montana is still occasionally seen, and a typographical error "mugho" (first made in a prominent 18th century encyclopedia) is still repeated surprisingly often.
P. mugo is a classed as a wilding conifer, an invasive species that spreads in the high country of New Zealand.
A recent trend is the increase in use of the Mugo Pine in cooking. Buds and young cones are harvested from the wild in the Spring and left to dry in the sun over the Summer and into the Fall. The cones and buds gradually drip syrup, which is then boiled down to a concentrate and combined with sugar to make pine syrup.[2][3] Menus also use the terms "pinecone syrup"[4] or "pine cone syrup"[5] to refer to this ingredient.
