Abies pinsapo 'Tuarek'™ is a fairly recently-released cultivar of Spanish fir. Common nomenclature errors seen in the trade include 'Turek' and '#4.' The first being a misspelling and the second a provisional name given by the originator.
Description. 'Tuarek' is a compact, dwarf conical selection of Spanish fir with grey-green needles typical in size and arrangement for the species. Typical growth rate for most areas is .75 to 1.25 inches (1.5 - 3 cm) a year producing a small tree 12 inches tall by 10 inches wide (20 x 15 cm) after 10 years of growth. Because this cultivar is so new to the trade, it is impossible to say what its precise mature form will be.
Güsnter Eschrich of Recklinghausen, Germany found this and four other Abies pinsapo cultivars while on a brooming expedition in Morocco in the early 2000s. All were derived from witch'™s broom mutations found in a natural population of Spanish firs. Eschrich provisionally named 'Tuarek,'™ #4. The other named varieties are 'Fatima'™ (#1), 'Atlas'™ (#2), and 'Marokko'™ (#3). All of these selections are similar, yet distinct in their own way.
