Cat’s Claw Plant: [Cultivation, Irrigation, Associations, Pests and Diseases]

Important points when planting Cat’s Claw plant

Where to sow? In full light. It needs direct sunlight.
When? In spring
How do we prepare the land? Removed, removing weeds. With substrate based on garden soil.
How do we water? With drip.
How often do we water? In summer, 1 or 2 times a week. The rest of the year spaced irrigation.
Plagues and diseases? Slimy aphids, fungal disease caused by excess moisture.

Cat’s claw is a perennial plant, with a creeping habit that can spread over large surfaces.

It presents succulent leaves with a tapered shape, with a waxy texture and a triangular section, they are curved upwards.

The flower of this succulent, with a diameter of 6 to 9 cm, is very beautiful and resembles very large daisies. Its petals are purple, yellow or orange with yellow stamens.

Cat’s claw is a medicinal plant highly valued for its healing properties, among which it is said that it can strengthen the immune system, adjuvant in treatments for AIDS, cancer.

In indigenous communities of the Amazon, cat’s claw has been used as an anti-inflammatory against arthritis, osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatic diseases. The origin of the cat’s claw plant can be found in Australia, Europe and America as well as the Mediterranean areas.

When to sow the cat’s claw plant?

The sowing of the cat’s claw plant can be done through seeds, which is an almost natural method, or through stems or cuttings of the same plant.

The best time to grow it is during the spring or early fall.

Where to do it?

For the best development of the cat’s claw plant, it should be located in places where it can receive a lot of light and, above all, direct sunlight.

This plant tolerates high temperatures, but not frost. The cat’s claw plant can be grown very well in coastal regions and in beach house gardens.

How to prepare the land?

The cat’s claw plant is not picky about the quality of the soil and can easily reproduce even using garden soil, but the most important thing is that it has good drainage.

Cat’s claw thrives in almost all types of soil, poor and sandy, but neutral soils are ideal, as they tolerate a wide pH range.

After many experiments, science has invented chemical powders and fertilizers that tone the soil for the cultivation of cat’s claw and any other plant.

However, the cat’s claw plant is not limited by the type of soil in its development since it can reproduce even in the very sand.

How do we water the cat’s claw plant?

Because it is a species of the succulent type, the cat’s claw can receive moderate watering during the year, but in summer it should be watered a little more.

It resists droughts since its structure helps it to store water with which it can cope with dry climates.

With once or twice a week during the hot summers and less watering during the rest of the year, it will live very well and develop healthy. Its very high resistance to drought makes it highly valued for revegetating dry and steep slopes in coastal areas.

How do we sow a cat’s claw plant step by step?

The cat’s claw plant species is produced very easily, since it does not require much care. It can be reproduced by cuttings or seeds.

Planting by seeds

The method of planting cat’s claw using seeds is very simple. Simply shake the dried flowers to help distribute the seeds if you want a fresh crop next season.

Once the seeds are in the ground, it will suffice to water, without producing waterlogging and waiting for the plant to germinate. The location of the plant should be directed to the south, directly in the sun and protect it from frost.

Planting by cuttings

Reproduction of cat ‘s claw by cuttings can be done with a piece of stem from the plant itself, carrying out the following steps:

Cut a stem from the plant.
Submerge it in water for 24 hours.
Select the normal substrate or even sand with good drainage.
Plant it in a pot.
Water without flooding.

Its rooting occurs in a very simple way and is usually successful. It is recommended to place a fertilizer, annually, to promote flowering.

What favorable associations does it have?

The association of crops of compatible plants produces benefits with respect to their cultivation separately, in addition to the use of light, water and/or nutrients.

Cat’s claws are plants that grow and develop anywhere, they are resistant and of very little nutritional cost, but with great beauty, so they could be placed in the garden along with other types of succulents.

Although it is noted that there are no studies or research on the type of favorable association of cat’s claw with other plants.

And it should also be considered that because it is creeping and tolerates soils where other plants are difficult to maintain, the cat’s claw expands at dizzying speeds and can colonize everything that is put in front of it.

What pests and diseases attack the cat’s claw plant?

Although cat’s claw plants are considered pest and disease resistant, overwatering and excessive moisture will cause fungus and root and stem rot.

Younger cat’s claw plants are sensitive to the presence of pests and slimy aphids.

Bibliography and references

Encyclopedia My first knowledge about Plants, Snakes and Conservation. (1961). Spanish edition by Dr. Frank Thompson. Grolier Publisher Incorporated New York. Printed in Mexico.

digital database

Vic Carlos. Venture into the unknown.com. Cat’s Claw properties and benefits for survival. Reproduced from the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNJnY5f2mqQ
Agromatica.com. (2020). Cat’s claw (Carpobrotus edulis). Reproduced from: https://www.agromatica.es/una-de-gato-carpobrotus-edulis/
Elenanitojardinero.com. (2013, April 25). Carpobrotus edulis. Reproduced from: http://elenanitojardinero.blogspot.com/2013/04/carpobrotus-edulis-una-de-gato.html
Plantsandflowers.pro. Carpobrotus. Reproduced from: https://plantasyflores.pro/carpobrotus/