A colourless or white solid, it is one of the monolignols, produced via the phenylpropanoid biochemical pathway.

When copolymerized with related aromatic compounds, coniferyl alcohol forms lignin or lignans.

Gum benzoin contains significant amount of coniferyl alcohol and its esters.

[4] In Forsythia intermedia a dirigent protein was found to direct the stereoselective biosynthesis of (+)-pinoresinol from coniferyl alcohol.

[5] Recently, a second, enantiocomplementary dirigent protein was identified in Arabidopsis thaliana, which directs enantioselective synthesis of (−)-pinoresinol.