Yellow Spring on social media; Cat's Claw trend takes over Instagram

KOCHI: Instagram and Facebook are flooded with images of houses and walls covered in yellow flowers. With the yellow spring on social media, the ornamental climbing plant, cat's claw, has found an audience. Despite its bad reputation as an invasive plant, seedlings have become scarce in nurseries after a social media trend paved the way for a surge in demand.

Cat's Claw is native to the tropical forests of South America and the Caribbean. It has been established as an ornamental plant in India for 15 years. But it has only become a hit in sales since last year. After becoming a trend on Instagram, large plants cost Rs 300, and small ones cost Rs 50 in nurseries.

Organic fertilisers like cow dung and bone meal are best for nurturing the plant. It takes root slowly and then grows quickly. It flowers three times a year. The plant will grow anywhere except in salty soil.

The climbing plant, scientifically known as Dolichandra unguis-cati, grows with roots that resemble a cat's claw. Thus the name. Since the plant grows in a way that blocks sunlight, it is a threat to everything from small plants to large trees. Many countries have banned the sale of cat's claw.