Hardiness zones:
Sunset 8-24
USDA 9-11 (arid and semiarid regions best)

Landscape Use: Wall covering, trellis, arbor

Form & Character: Evergreen vine, refined, dainty, wirey

Growth Habit: Vigorous and climbing from 25 to 60'

Foliage/texture: Dark green, dimorphic, juvenile plants with small leaflets 1" long, 1/2" wide, mature leaflets rarely seen in Phoenix landscapes are narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 3"-5" long, 1/2 to 2" wide, both surfaces sparsely lepidote, tendril deciduous, 3-forked, 0.1-3.5 cm long, each fork bearing a small horny hook. Stems thin to wiry, strong and flexible, cylindrical; fine texture

Flowers & fruits: Inflorescences are axillary with one to three flowers. Each flower is 2-4" long and tubular with five lobes, calyx is cup like, color is yellow with red-orange lines in the throat. Fruits are a flattened capsule that produces brown flattened; winged seeds are dispersed by the wind.

Seasonal color: Yellow flowers in late March to early April

Temperature: VERY heat loving

Light: Full sun

Soil: Tolerant

Watering: Drought tolerant once established.

Pruning: Prune as needed, can even prune to ground after bloom to reinvigorate growth.

Propagation: Seed, cutting

Disease and pests: None

Additional comments: Cat claw vine is one of the few heat loving vines for the arid southwest and is thus noted as an excellent performer. It can even be trained to grow up and cover south facing "hot" walls. Needs support when trained as a wall cover because it is known to become top heavy and collapse off a wall. Care should be taken as cat claw vine can vigorously invade the crown of a tree or cover a house.