Atlantic white cedar is an evergreen with scaly leaves that occur in a flat fern-like appearance. This species usually grows in very dense, solid stands, and has small rounded cones. Â Pioneers prized the durable wood for log cabins, including floors and shingles. During the Revolutionary War, the wood produced charcoal for gunpowder. Atlantic white-cedar wood is still used for telephone poles, posts, siding, furniture, and paneling.Adult tree size averages 28 meters (90 feet) tall. Â Trees have deeply ridged, grey to red-brown colored bark that peels off in long strips from the trunk. Â Their branches support fanlike sprays of scaly, blue-green leaves that give off an aromatic, cedar-like scent.