It is well adapted to our climate and to a wide range of soil types. The hedge rose may reach a height of 2 metres. The stems are stout, spiny and hairy. The flowers are solitary, ranging in color from purple to white, and are produced abundantly over a long season beginning in June. The rose hip is a favored food of sharp-tailed grouse and pheasants, and the shrub is browsed by whitetail and mule deer.
Russian olive is a shrub or small tree that is a native of Eurasia.
In western Canada, it has occassionally spread from cultivation to the wild. It is drought hardy and tolerant to alkaline soils but is susceptible to stem canker disease. Russian olive is not a long-lived species on the Prairies. 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.