The stalkless leaves of Phylica rigidifolia ascend, scattered up the young, white-haired stems.

The blades are narrowly oblong to needle-like, sometimes curving slightly down and leathery. Older leaves are dull dark-green, those on young stem-tips yellow-green. The acutely pointed leaf-tips are yellowish on old stems, on young leaf-tips white with additional mucro protractions. The leaf margins are rolled under, the ericoid leaves white-velvety in the channels on their lower surfaces. Leaf length is from 12 mm to 25 mm.

There are no stipules. Young stems are soft and lemon-yellow, old ones grey and woody (Le Roux, et al, 2005; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist).