07 Dec Cats claw creeper
Macfadyena unguis-cati
Stems in established stands of Cats Claw Creeper have been recorded as being up to 250mm in diameter. diameter growth of Cat’s Claw stems is slow, but the vines are long-lived, nearly as long as the trees
that they claim for support.
Family: Bignoniaceae
Origin: Mexico to Uruguay
Habit: Vigorous, blanketing climber in excess of 30m with distinctive three-pronged claws along the growing portion of the plant. The weight of the vine’s mass often collapses the supporting trees branches and may even cause mature trees to fall. Mature stems can become very woody to 20cm in diameter.
Leaves: Leaflets are dark green and formed in opposite pairs along the vine. New leaves and tips are a showy red/brown colour.
Flowers: Attractive bright yellow forming a bell shape when fully open and only occur on mature plants. Winter-Spring.
Fruit: Long dark brown seed pods are formed which split open when mature exposing numerous hard brown seeds.
Roots: Deep underground tuberous roots are profuse suckering readily.
Dispersal: Seed and tubers spread by wind, or water such as along rivers in floods, humans, contaminated soil (earthmoving equipment, car tyres etc) and garden refuse dumping.
Control: Hand Dig, Scrape and Paint, Foliar spray.
