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The Spanish Fir (Abies pinsapo) is a slow growing evergreen tree with a dense and compact form. When young it creates a distinct conical shape with rings of branches beginning at ground level. The foliage consists of stalkless short waxy needles (approx 1 to 2cm) that spiral around the woody horizontal branches. Eventually these trees can reach a height of up to 30 metres, with a diameter of 1 metre and they can survive to around 300 years. Aged trees can often sport many leaders giving a candelabra shaped appearance. They produce their attractive seed cones when over 25 years and rarely in consecutive years. The cylindrical cones have an almost flattened top and stand upright on the branches, they grow to between 9 / 18cm in height, reaching maturity in October. They are pink and green in colour when forming and consist of layers of winged seeds that disperse through the winter.  It was the Swiss botanist Edmond Boissier that first described this species for science in 1838. They only occur in the wild on the northern slopes in the mountains of south west Spain. They grow at altitudes of 1000 to 1800metres in two areas in Malaga province; Parque Natural Sierra de las Nieves and Paraje Natural Sierra Bermeja and in Cadiz province they are in the Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema. The Sierra de las Nieves and Sierra de Grazalema are limestone massifs whereas Sierra Bermeja is of volcanic rock or peridotite. These trees can grow in different soils but require the coolness and precipitation of northerly facing slopes at high altitude, which strictly limits any expansion. Although Abies pinsapo is endemic to this corner of southern Iberia, two very similar firs that may prove to be subspecies occur in the Rif mountains of Morocco, Abies marocana and Abies tazaotana.
There are nine different species of Abies fir trees around Europe and the Mediterranean that have become isolated populations. In this particular case ice cover during the Pleistocene era eliminated them from all but the southern reaches and as the ice retreated and the climate warmed they advanced north leaving isolated pockets which could only survive on the cooler mountain slopes, each developing differently into separate species. The Abies pinsapo receives protective status as a rare tree and the main populations are within protected park areas but there are still threats to their existence:
Fire posses the greatest threat to this relict species, especially as the trees themselves do not re-grow after being burned and their seeds have not germinated in fire damaged areas. Further threats are from a fungus which attacks at root level ; Heterobasidion abietinu. A moth which attacks the flowering parts ; Dioryctria aulloi. A beetle which attacks the trunk and branches; Cryphalus numidicus. The unusual shape, where the trunk can be divided into many leaders is due to beetle damage, they can also cause death of limbs and even of the whole tree. Fungal and insect damage is more likely to weaken the tree when they have already been stressed by times of drought. During the last mini ice age in these parts these mountains were covered in snow through the winter whereas now snow for a two week period is more likely. This is forcing the lower level of the trees to retreat upwards and they are being replaced naturally by oak species.
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