Weed of the Week: Cats Claw Creeper

Today we look at a vine that you probably see all over the place called Cats Claw Creeper.

Originally native to central and South American coastal areas, it has now found its way here into many Low Land subtropical rainforests – a particularly endangered ecological area of vulnerable native plants.

It can climb up to 30m high and you may see it all over trees like a giant dense green vegetative cobweb or mat. There are two forms, the short pod and the long pod and in Queensland it is the long pod we mostly see.

Don’t get fooled by its pretty yellow flowers it is a very difficult and determined species to eradicate.

• Ground Asparagus Fern
• Bryophyllum delagoense (Mother of Millions)
• Lantana Camara
• Thunbergia alata (Black-eyed Susan)
• Cinnamomum camphora (Camphor Laurel) 
• Ardisia crenata (Coral or Christmas Berry)
• Impatiens Spp.

Photo Credit: Cats Claw over Canal by Bart Everson, CC by 2.0
Photo Credit: Cats Claw on Poinciana Tree by Tatiana Gerus (Tatters), Flikr, CC by 2.0