Russian olive will reach a height of 7 metres in its 10 to 20 year life span. Both thorny and thornless types of the species exist. Branchlets are silvery in color while the older wood is reddish-brown. The long, narrow leaves are produced in small clusters on twigs in early summer. The silver colored fruit is drupe-like, containing a large seed.
Russian olive provides excellent cover and protection for partridge, pheasant and sharp-tail grouse.
The fruit provides fall and winter food for songbirds, pheasants, cedar waxwings and sharp-tail grouse. Since it grows rapidly, it provides protection early in new plantings. It has little value as a browse species. Saskatoon is a native shrub or small tree, common in coulees, bluffs and open woodlands throughout the Prairie provinces. It grows well on a wide variety of soils and there is some evidence that it is moderately tolerant to salinity.