Regarded as one of the best of the 'winter gold' pines, Pinus mugo 'Carstens' is a slow-growing dwarf evergreen Mountain Pine of great beauty. It forms a dense, cushion-shaped mound with short, medium green needles in the spring and summer, turning rich golden yellow in the winter. In the late season, shorter needles appear, creating the effect of a crown at the tip of each branch. Brightening up the garden, 'Carstens' is an extremely slow-growing pine that adds less than 2 inches (5 cm) of new growth per year. A very appealing addition to small gardens.

• Winner of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society
• Grows up to 18-24 in. tall and wide (45-60 cm) after 10 years.
• Performs best in full sun in well-drained soils. Mugo pine is not fussy about soils and grows in acidic, alkaline, loamy, moist, sandy, or clay soils as long as they are well drained. It is also drought tolerant.
• Perfect for coastal gardens and rock gardens.
• Watch for aphids, adelgids, sawflies and pine shoot moth. Easy to grow, easy to care for, and rarely browsed by deer.
• No pruning required.
• Native to C Europe, Balkan Peninsula.