The yellow flowerheads of Berkheya spinosa grow in small clusters near stem-tips. The involucral bracts are green, armed with long straight spines at their tips. The buds in picture present impressive defence arrangements.

The ray florets are elliptic, variable in size and longitudinally furrowed with notched tips. They spread in slightly more than one whorl around the flower centre in picture. A wide disc of deeply five-lobed disc florets protrudes in the centre above the rays. Flower diameter is about 2,5 cm.

Flowering happens after rain, any time from autumn to spring (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; Shearing and Van Heerden, 1994).