Russian Olive vs Japanese Maple

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.

Japanese Maple is one of the most popular accent maples. Its long, fingered lobed leaves can be variegated in the summer with lighter shades of green, red, or even purple. Its autumn colour is a brilliant red that is uncommon in most plants, which adds nice contrast to your yard when planted near other trees.


The Japanese Maple is a diverse variety, there are over 1,000 cultivars with different sizes, shapes, and colours.

This species is extremely popular with bonsai enthusiasts.

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