The plant grows in full sun and prefers a light sandy or loamy soil but it will tolerate a range of soil types as it is able to fix nitrogen. It is drought and salt-spray tolerant but dislikes the summer heat. Russian olive is a large, thorny, perennial deciduous shrub or small tree usually growing 10 to 25 feet tall. The leaves are 1 to 4 inches long and 0.5 to 1.5 inches wide with smooth edges and are arranged alternately on the stem.