Ficus is a pan-tropical genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Ficus occupies a wide variety of ecological niches; most are evergreen, but some deciduous species are endemic to areas outside of the tropics and to higher elevations. Fig species are characterized by their unique inflorescence and distinctive pollination syndrome, which utilizes wasp species belonging to the Agaonidae family for pollination. The fruit of most species are edible though they are usually of only local economic importance or eaten as bushfood. However, they are extremely important food resources for wildlife. Figs are also of considerable cultural importance throughout the tropics, both as objects of worship and for their many practical uses.

Ficus glumosa is commonly known as African Rock-fig, Hairy Rock Fig, Mountain Fig, Mountain Rock Fig, Rock Fig and Sonder’s Wild Fig in English and Berg-rotsvy, Bergvy, Bergvyeboom, Harige Rotsvy, Rooitou and Rots-vyeboom in Afrikaans. It has the ability to split rocks and there for makes the perfect subject for root over rock style bonsai. It is indigenous to South Africa with a provincial distribution which that extends to Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. The figs of Ficus glumosa are edible. It is a source of firewood and is used to produce charcoal. Cloth is made from the bark in Sudan and is also used for tanning. A methanol extract from the leaves has been shown to be medicinally effective against diarrhea which may explain the use of the plant in traditional medicine.