Macfadyena unguis-cati                                          Photo Claire Sunquist ©

Cats claw vine is an invasive woody vine that gets its name from the three-pronged grasping hooks that it uses to hang onto other plants.

                                                                         Photo Claire Sunquist ©

This vine can climb 40-50 feet into the canopy or form a dense mat that smothers native vegetation on the forest floor. The yellow trumpet-shaped flowers are three inches across with a faint tinge of orange at the throat.

Cat’s claw vine is native to the West Indies and South America, and is listed as a Category I exotic invasive species.

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