Pithecellobium unguis-cati

Find This Plant at a Native Nursery

FANN

Learn More About Plant Status in FL

FL Atlas

Cat's-claw, Catclaw Blackbead

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.
Considerations:Spiny
Propagation:Seed.
Availability:Native nurseries, Seed
Light: Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance:
always floodedextremely dry
 (Somewhat moist, no flooding ----- to ----- Very long very dry periods)
Moisture Tolerance: Somewhat moist, no flooding ----- to ----- Very long very dry periods
Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges.
Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance:Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure to salt spray would be uncommon (major storms).
Soil or other substrate:Lime rock, Sand
Soil pH:Calcareous

Ecology

Wildlife:
 

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

  • 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. 
Native Habitats:Dry coastal hammocks and shell mounds.

Distribution and Planting Zones

Natural Range in Florida
USDA Zones

Suitable to grow in:
10A 10B 11 

USDA zones are based on minimum winter temperatures

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