Mountain Pine 'Kostelnicek'

Mountain pine 'Kostelnicek' (Pinus mugo 'Kostelnicek') is a dense, almost perfectly regular dark green ball of short needles held in pairs. The branches sit so close together that the ball reads as a plump cushion.

It is most often grafted onto a standard so the green ball floats above the ground: in a rockery, in a large pot, flanking the door of a house. It grows extremely slowly and so keeps its shape for years without any clipping - unlike the broader mugos such as 'Mops' or 'Winter Gold'. All it asks for is sun and well-drained soil.

Key characteristics:

• What makes it special: The cultivar name is Czech and is properly written with diacritics as 'Kostelníček', though labels usually simplify it to Kostelnicek.
• Hardiness: Hardy down to -45 °C (USDA zone 2).
• Light: Give it full sun: in shade the globe thins out and loses its perfect shape.
• Soil: Happiest on moist, well-drained loam and grows willingly on sandy soils too; heavy clays suit it less.
• Watering: Moderate watering; waterlogged, poorly drained soils are the one thing it cannot take.
• Care: Asks for almost no care; just keep an eye out for scale, sawfly and sap-sucking pests on the young growth.
• Landscape use: A rock garden, a small bed, a container, or a standard accent by the house entrance.