Leaf detail in Grewia flava differs considerably as the oblanceolate to elliptic leaves age. The small ones emerge at the stem tip a very pale green, their surfaces velvety. A brighter green and slight glossiness set in when mature length is reached, soon to darken in colour on older leaves.

The lateral veins are widely apart lower down on the leaf, the lowest pair emerging from the midrib at the base of the blade, curving in as they ascend close to the margins without quite reaching them. Faint net-veining is visible as well as some sparse, whitish mottling, raised upon the blade as are the bigger veins. The marginal toothing is fine and slightly irregular. Leaf dimensions are 14 mm to 70 mm by 7 mm to 25 mm.

The petioles are short, angled upwards next to the stem and holding the leaves stiffly in one plane along their branch. 

The closed sepals around the buds in picture are velvety green, their revealed inside surfaces on the open flowers yellow as the petals above them, spreading and curving back (Van Wyk and Van Wyk, 2002; Coates Palgrave, 2002).