Spines abound on the upper branches of Scolopia zeyheri. They are hard and straight, tapering to sharply pointed tips. The spines grow from leaf axils. The main stem or large stem parts may have an almost impenetrable covering of small branches, many of these persistent spines upon them. Whitish lenticels grow on both the young stems and the spines (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Schmidt, et al, 2002).