FNPS Plant Database

Pithecellobium unguis-cati

cat's-claw, catclaw blackbead
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

cat's-claw, catclaw blackbead

Synonym(s):

Pithecellobium guadalupense

Genus species:

Pithecellobium unguis-cati

Family:

Fabaceae (Leguminosae)

Plant Specifics

Form:

shrub

Size:

10-15 (25) ft tall by 10-15 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

red,black

Phenology:

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Thorns

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Specimen shrub.  Thorniness makes it a good property edge hedge.

Considerations:

Spiny

Availability:

Native Nurseries, Seed

Propagation:

Seed.

Light:

Full Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Somewhat moist, no flooding -to- Very long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray.

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand

Soil pH:

Calcareous

Suitable to Grow In:

10A,10B,11

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Butterflies, Caterpillars, Birds

Larval host  for cassius blue ( Leptotes cassius theonus ), large orange sulphur ( Phoebis agarithe ), and Miami blue ( Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri ) butterflies. 





Nectar plant for cassius blue, Florida duskywing ( Ephyriades brunneus ), Florida white ( Appias drusilla ), giant swallowtail ( Papilio cresphontes ), great southern white ( Ascia monuste ), hammock skipper ( Polygonus leo ), large orange sulphur, mangrove skipper ( Phocides pigmalion ), Miami blue, Palatka skipper ( Euphyes pilatka ), southern broken-dash ( Wallengrenia otho ), three-spotted skipper ( Cymaenes tripunctus ), twin-spot skipper ( Oligorio maculata ) and other butterflies. 

Birds eat the fruits (and the red&black arils).

Native Habitats:

Dry coastal hammocks and shell mounds.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Citations:

https://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Pithkeye

Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell.  1999.  Native Florida Plants.  Gulf Publishing Company.  Houston, TX.



Minno, Marc and Maria Minno.  1999.  Florida butterfly gardening.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville.



Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu /).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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