The Atlas cedar is native to the Atlas Mountains, a range stretching from Morocco to Tunisia. It can reach 50 meters in height and more than two meters in diameter, living up to 2,000 years! When it first begins growing, it has a tall, slender profile; with time, its branches extend horizontally, forming a tree with a flattened crown. The evergreen foliage is formed of dark-green to bluish needles, earning it another common name, blue cedar.

C. atlantica is also sometimes called the immortal tree for the natural insect-repellant and fungicide molecules the wood contains, protecting it from insects and microorganisms after the tree’s death.

Once mature, the Atlas cedar is cut for use by the furniture or sculpture industries. The trees to be cut are selected in accordance with strict specifications. Once harvested, the government allocates the quantities to different industries. The manufacture of furniture and artwork generates large amounts of wood chips and sawdust, and it is these that are used to obtain the essential oil.