It is a medium-sized evergreen tree to 35 m (115 ft) tall, with a conic crown with level branches and variably pendulous branchlets (but see also below under 'Uses' for the differing cultivated variants). It is very long-lived, with some trees reported to be over 1,000 years old.

The foliage grows in dense sprays, dark green in colour. The leaves are scale-like, 2-5 mm long, and produced on rounded (not flattened) shoots. The seed cones are ovoid or oblong, 25-40 mm long, with 10-14 scales, green at first, maturing brown about 20-24 months after pollination. The male cones are 3-5 mm long, and release pollen in late winter.