Ziziphus spina christi is an evergreen, flowering, spinescent, large perennial shrub to medium tree with an erect trunk and pendulous branches that quickly become crossed and tangled. Generally seen at 6-9m tall with a 4.5m spread and with a trunk diameter of 60cm. Flowers are inconspicuous, fragrant, star-shaped, small and bisexual. They are green-yellow. Flowers are seen from September through to April/May. Fruit fleshy drupe, globose ripening from green to dark brown-yellow to red and is glabrous.
Noted as reaching 18m tall with a trunk diameter of 1.5m in its native habitat. slow to medium growth at approximately 30-50cm p/a.
