It is an arboreal species of the Cupressaceae family native to the eastern Mediterranean regions. It is an evergreen tree with a height between 25 and 30 meters. Its leaves are presented in scale-shaped bouquets forming a dense dark green foliage. The branches are thin, matte dark green, and in its flowers we can distinguish the masculine ones, which are cylindrical in a yellowish tone, and the feminine ones, which form groups of small pineapples or gray cones. The seeds are in the cones and have a very long-lasting germination property. It is a tree of great longevity. The essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of the leafy branches.