The trunks are upright, not branching, sometimes just with a few short branches at the top, covered with numerous sharp and firm thorns of 1 to 10 mm long. The light brown thorns are flat and conical.

The young bark is grey or slightly brown with well-defined leaf scars surrounded by nimbus of thorns. The leaf scars are wide, crescent-shaped, almost wrapping the branch. The bark of old plants is grey, with deep crevices. Terminal buds are greater than the side ones and are surrounded by a nimbus of thorns.

It grows individually or in small groups in the undergrowth of mixed and coniferous woods; at the ridges and by the foothills; in glades and at the edges of forests. In the deciduous forests, it grows on rocky exposures and precipices, especially thrives in slashes and old burned areas after a forest fire where it forms impenetrable brushwoods. It grows rapidly. Can be found at 600-700 m above sea level in mountains.

It is winter-hardy and prefers full light.

Excellent late season honey plant. Valuable medicinal plant. Used for planting of the unique greenery.

Distribution in the Russia's Far East. Primorsky and Khabarovsky Krais, Southern Sakhalin Island, Southern Kuril Islands - Kunashir, Shikotan.

General distribution. China, Korean Peninsula, Japan.