Deciduous, spiky shrub or small tree up to 5 m high. The bark is scaly, stripping lengthwise.Leaves are simple. The lamina is acicular, slightly rolled down on the edge. Colour is brownish-green, on the underside brownish or yellowish-silver hair. Male flowers are arranged in spikelets on the basis of the shoot, female flowers in fascicles. They are brown-green, flowering before leaves appear in March or April. The fruit is fake drupe, yellow or orange, juicy (contain high level of vitamin C). Shoots: Shoots are silver, later reddish or brown, covered with shiny, star-shaped trichomes. The older branches are often spiky with many buds. Natural range: The coastline of Northern and Baltic Sea, along Alpine, Carpathian and Caucasian rivers across Asia to China, in our area introduced.