Some authorities believe this plant to be closely related to the silver fir that occurs in Morocco. If, however, taken as distinct, there are just three sites in the world where this species exists naturally, on mountains around Ronda in Spain, making it a Spanish endemic and an endangered species. Pinsapo is the Spanish name for this tree. Its needles are radially spreading and the cones, 10-15cm long, are purplish brown when young; as with many silver firs, the cones are especially beautiful. Originally introduced into Britain in 1839, it has proved hardy and also tolerant of chalky soils. This large group of seedlings are growing especially well, many times the rate of specimens at Kew, which has a very dry, sandy soil.