These plants have played an important role in history for its many uses and religious significance.

Ficus refers to a genus that includes approximately 900 species of trees, shrubs and vines. The ficus genus is more commonly called figs and can be found in different parts of the world that has tropical climates.

Figs are considered to be very important in different cultures for reasons ranging from its usefulness to religious reasons.

The sacred fig is sacred to followers of the religions Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.

It is under a scared fig that Siddhartha Gautama was sitting and meditating when he achieved enlightenment.

The oldest human-planted tree ever recorded is actually a sacred fig which was planted in 288 BC.

The sacred fig is sacred to followers of Hinduism and plays a prominent role in Philippine Mythology as well as the tales of the Chamorro people in Guam.

In the famous tale Robinson Crusoe the main character takes shelter on a banyan tree and converts it to his home.

In fact it is the very first plant mentioned in the Bible.

It was leaves from a common fig tree that Adam and Eve plucked and used to cover themselves when they realized that they were naked.

The curtain fig tree or <em>Ficus microcarpa</em>.
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The curtain fig tree are parasitic in nature growing on top of another tree. The tree is called a curtain fig because its roots make a curtain-like drapery as they reach for the ground.

The host tree eventually dies and the curtain fig survives on its own. One of the most famous tourist attractions in North Queensland, Australia is actually a huge curtain fig tree.

Some of its uses include treatment of constipation and bronchitis. The fig tree can also be used to treat warts. Note that different species of the ficus genus have different uses.

Leaves, stems, fruit, and other parts are also not to be ingested directly to treat medical conditions and are usually processed some way to be effective.