Rosa glauca is a deciduous shrub of sparsely bristled and thorny cinnamon-coloured arching canes 1.5–3 m (4.9–9.8 ft) tall.

The leaves are distinctive, a glaucous blue-green to coppery or purplish, and covered with a waxy bloom; they are 5–10 cm long and have 5–9 leaflets.

The flower petals fall off easily in the spray from watering hoses, as well as from wind and rain.

The species is naturalised in northern Europe north of its native range, particularly in Scandinavia.

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.