PINUS mugo ‘Wintersonne’ (Winter Sun)

Description

The Plant

PINUS mugo ‘Wintersonne’ is part of the dwarf pines. Its name means winter sun in French and it well deserves it.

Indeed, with its very compact dwarf shape, it could be similar to many other dwarf pines. It is however in full winter that it develops its real potential of attraction. Its usually green foliage then becomes luminous yellow.

The two photos above clearly show the beginning of color change at the end of autumn and the color at its peak in the middle of winter. It then turns into a real source of light during this season often dark. This is a photoadaptive protection. The pigments thus help the plant to manage the intense winter sun when photosynthesis is limited.

Moreover, it resists not only temperatures below -25 ° C, but also supports droughts (once perfectly established).
Finally, this mini pine tree lends itself very well to bonsai and to planting in rock gardens, containers and in very small gardens.

History and Origin

In the 1980s, the nursery Yamina Rare Plant Nursery in Australia discovered the PINUS mugo ‘Wintersonne’ (also listed as ‘Winter Sun’) from a seedling. This makes it one of the rare cultivars of PINUS mugo found outside Europe. In the 1990s, it began to be sold in other countries.

In addition, the type species PINUS mugo finds its origins in Central and Southern Europe in the mountain ranges and more particularly in:

• the Alps
• the Carpathians
• the Balkan Mountains
• the Pyrenees (some isolated populations)

It grows there at altitudes ranging from 1,000 to 2,700 meters, where it develops into a mat on exposed slopes.

Furthermore, PINUS mugo supports very well harsh environmental conditions such as:

• extreme cold
• exposure to wind
• intense UV
• poor, calcareous, acidic and rocky soils

Finally, it plays an important role, among others, in:

• erosion control
• avalanche stabilization
• reforestation in poor soils

How to Plant and Maintain the PINUS mugo ‘Wintersonne’

Planting

Despite being a very hardy plant, consider the following points:

1. Find a location in full sun. This is necessary to obtain the most intense winter young.
2. You can plant it in a container or in a bed.
3. The soil can be light, normal or heavy with a acidic, neutral or calcareous pH.
4. It grows in light, normal or heavy soil.
5. For good preparation of the planting hole, we have designed specific instructions available here.

Maintenance

Like the type species, PINUS mugo ‘Wintersonne’ (or Winter Sun) is an extremely resilient plant. However, follow regular watering for the first two years until it is well established. If you plant it in a container, pay particular attention not to overwater. Read also our tips on how to water properly and save water here.

If you want to prune it, do it in February or March, but in any case well before the sap rises. Otherwise, you will cause significant bleeding.