Ficus sarmentosa var. thunbergii

String of Frogs, Oak Leaf Creeping Fig, Miniature Oak Leaf Fig, Creeping Oak-leaf Fig

A slow-growing climbing vine from Japan, Korea, and coastal China, producing tiny oak-shaped lobed leaves that press flat against whatever surface they climb — a growth behaviour called shingling, where leaves overlap like roof tiles to maximise contact with bark or moss beneath. In a closed terrarium it does best, where the steady high humidity and indirect warmth mirror its native temperate forest understorey. It grows significantly slower than its relative the common creeping fig, which makes it easier to manage in confined spaces. Attach a cutting to damp sphagnum on a background and it will root into place within a few weeks.