Cedar is an evergreen coniferous plant extensively cultivated for ornamental purposes in cold climates. It belongs to the cypress family and is indigenous to Eastern Canada, the northeastern US, and the Himalayas. It is also known as swamp cedar, arborvitae, eastern white cedar, and northern white cedar. The plant bears slender, needle-like yellow-green leaves with a bluish underside and grows up to 15 meters in height. Its bark, wood, twigs, and leaves are used for medicinal formulations and deriving essential oils.

Cedar leaves of yellow. green, bronze or golden hues are harvested and distilled by cedar leaf essential oil manufacturers to derive a thin colorless oil from them. The aroma of the cedar leaf oil is intensely sharp and fresh with woody camphorous undertones. The oil is a mixture of safe organic cedrol and cedrene compounds used as a food additive or preservative.