# Catclaw Vine (*dolichandra unguis-cati*)

The Catclaw Vine is a fun plant that loves to climb! It has unique, claw-like tendrils that help it hang on to other plants and trees.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** It typically grows in tropical and subtropical regions, often found in forests and along riverbanks.
- **Also known as:** Cat's Claw, Climbing Vine, Dolichandra, Yellow Flowering Vine

![Catclaw Vine](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/10865414/medium.jpeg)

Photo: Alison Northup, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/10865414)

## Appearance

The Catclaw Vine has shiny green leaves with three leaflets and bright yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers. Its distinguishing feature is small, claw-like tendrils that help it climb surfaces, giving it a unique grappling appearance.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Lamiales
- **Family:** Bignoniaceae
- **Genus:** Dolichandra

## Interesting facts

- It has powerful underground tubers that make it super hard to dig up!
- Its long, flat seed pods can grow over 30 cm long, like giant beans!
- Native to tropical Americas, it now grows in many sunny, warm climates.
- This sneaky vine can completely blanket and smother other plants!

## Special abilities

- **Climbing Claws:** Catclaw Vine has tiny, three-pronged tendrils that act like grappling hooks, helping it climb walls and trees with incredible grip.
- **Root Tuber Power:** Catclaw Vine can grow large underground tubers that store water and nutrients, allowing it to survive droughts and regrow easily.
- **Seed Spreader:** Catclaw Vine produces numerous winged seeds that are easily carried by wind, helping it quickly spread to new areas.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 300-900 cm
- **Spread:** 500-1500 cm
- **Flower Size:** 4-8 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to Summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar while spreading pollen
- **Eats:** Pyralid Moth (*Caristanius ortholopha*) — Caterpillars feed on its leaves and stems
- **Eats:** Leaf-feeding Beetle (*Hedypathes betulinus*) — larvae and adults feed on foliage

## Traits

- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Catclaw Vine?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Catclaw Vine?

300-900 cm

### How wide does Catclaw Vine spread?

500-1500 cm

### How big are the flowers on Catclaw Vine?

4-8 cm

### When does Catclaw Vine bloom?

Spring to Summer

### Is Catclaw Vine edible?

No

### Is Catclaw Vine toxic?

Mild

### What is Catclaw Vine's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Colonel Joe Kittinger Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/colonel-joe-kittinger-park) — Florida, US · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Catclaw Vine: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/catclaw-vine)