Russian Olive vs Grey Alder

Russian Olive is a medium-sized deciduous tree that has attractive silvery coloured foliage with small yellow flowers that emit a fragrant sweet smell.

It is drought and salt tolerant, and works well as a shelterbelt species. Russian Olive can also be used to combat erosion.

Note: although Russian Olive is planted as an attractive boulevard tree in many northern areas, in warmer areas it can invade watersheds and is considered invasive. Please do some research and plant the right tree in the right place.

River Alder is a large shrub or small tree with a multi-stemmed, spreading habit. It is an excellent tree to plant if you want to stabilize the soil near rivers and creeks.

Unlike the other alder varieties, River Alder is attractive enough to be included in riverside plantings by municipal and provincial park organizations.

Note: We use Grey Alder for Alnus incana. This species is also known by many other common names, including River Alder, Speckled Alder, and others. Please confirm the scientific name to ensure you are ordering the correct plant.

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