Wood: The shape of the tree makes the mugo pine an undesirable timber candidate. It is used as firewood and pine oil is extracted from the leaves and used for medicinal purposes.
Wildlife: Pines are of great importance to wildlife. Pine seeds are eaten by many birds, particularly the red crossbill, Clarke nutcracker and white-headed woodpecker. Hoofed browsers eat the twigs and foliage; and many other mammals, such as porcupines, squirrels and hares, feed on the bark, foliage and seeds. The low growth habit of the mugo pine lends itself to use as valuable roosting places for birds and as cover for wildlife. Several songbird species use the needles as nest material.
Horticulture: The mugo pine is an important low-growing pine for landscape use in parks and large gardens. It is very adaptable to various climatic and soil conditions, and is often used near houses and other buildings as a foundation planting. It responds well to pruning and transplants easily. 'Compacta' is a very dense, compact form. 'Mops' is a globose, dwarf form with short needles and a height and spread of 3 feet. The variety rostrata is an 80-foot tree from the mountains of France and Spain. It has been used to restore upturned bogs and as a companion plant with timber trees in very cold, exposed mountain sites in Scotland.
