The large flowering plant genus Grewia is today placed by most authors in the mallow family Malvaceae. Formerly, Grewia was placed in either the family Tiliaceae or the Sparrmanniaceae. The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus, in honour of the botanist Nehemiah Grew (1641-1712) from England. Grew was one of the leading plant anatomists and microscope researchers of his time, and his study of pollen laid the groundwork for modern-day palynology.

Grewia flavescens has beautiful, bright yellow and sometimes fragrant flowers. It is a frost-resistant, hardy shrub or small tree that is adaptable to all soils, from clay to sand, and does not require much water. It makes a good hedge for your bird garden. Grewia flavescens commonly known as Sandpaper Raisin, Rough-leaved Raisinbush or Square-stemmed Raisin in English and Skurweblaarrosyntjie in Afrikaans is a South African indigenous multi-stemmed shrub or small tree, up to 5 m high. Its bark is dark grey-brown. The main stem is 4-angled and deeply grooved. The young branchlets have rough hairs and later become smooth. The leaves of this Grewia are browsed by game and livestock. The fruit is edible, tasty and also loved by birds. In Kaokoland, in northern Namibia, the berries of Grewia flavescens are soaked in water for two or three days to make a refreshing drink. This species makes a good screen for the garden being very attractive with its light green leaves and bright yellow flowers. It could form an essential part of bush clumps or a bird garden.