If you’re looking for some winter interest in your yard, evergreens are a great way to do so. It can be hard to find unique evergreens however! You can find unique evergreens at our local nurseries, but they often go fast and they are limited in quantity.
Habit
One of these evergreens is the Mugo Pine ‘Wintergold’ variety. In the summer, it stays a mostly green color, but as temperatures drop and time moves into winter, it slowly changes to a golden lime green and yellow color. It creates a great splash of color in the winter landscape, especially against a snowy ground. It has short densely populated stems that makes it look quite fuzzy.
Mugo Pines stay in a mounding shape, being slightly wider than tall. This ‘Wintergold’ is a dwarf variety and will reach 12″-24″ tall and slightly wider at maturity. It is slow growing, growing only a few inches per year.
The Mugo pine is native to parts of Europe, and not the US. It however can provide shelter for wildlife during the winter months.
Care
It is hardy to zones 3 through 7 in the US. It can grow in a variety of soils from clay to acidic, alkaline, loamy, moist, sandy, and well-drained. It is also semi drought resistant, so it’s a good option if your area tends to have spells of no rain. It prefers full sun, but can tolerate a little shade. It needs atlas 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight per day.
Consider adding a Wintergold Mugo Pine to create winter interest in your garden. Pair it with a deeper colored evergreen, a Contorted Filbert, or a Winterberry Holly for a nice contrast in winter.
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