Q. I planted six cat claw vines two summers ago in full sun. They are on a drip system and I hope to wean them from regular water once the area is covered. I believe you mentioned to avoid mulching cat claw vine.  Of course I had already done this and the plants are struggling. A. Cat claw vine is a very vigorous tropical and semi tropical vine that is one of those rare plants that does well in the tropics and the desert. If the mulch is staying wet and in contact with the plant then this might be a problem.  Claw Claw in Arizona             Cat claw vine is considered a pest in much of the southeastern US, from Florida to central Texas. I would not plant this vine in wet climates.             It does like to grow along waterways and it would probably be invasive if it escaped along the Colorado River or any of our surface waterways in our lower elevations of southern Nevada.             Not so in the desert where we can restrict its growth with drip irrigation.It is a beautiful vine, it is aggressive and nearly pest free. It may die to the ground during cold winters or just drop its leaves when it gets below freezing.             This vine may have some trouble getting established on south-facing walls during summer months. But once they cover the wall they will do a good job shading it and reducing the reflected heat and glare from that wall.             It will do well in rock mulch provided it gets adequate water and the soil was composted at the time of planting. I would not allow it to climb on stucco or house siding as it may cause some minor damage.             When it does climb on these surfaces, pull it off, cut it back and let it regrow a different direction. This vine should be fine growing along the ground or allowed to climb cinder block walls.             In your particular case I would pull mulch away from the trunk at least a foot until the plant gets firmly established. Fertilize once a year in the early spring to push new growth.             It loves the heat so fertilizing lightly during summer months will not hurt it. As it gets older it tends to get woody at the base revealing wood stems. To reinvigorate it cut off one of the older stems and let it regrow with new leaves to cover bare areas.             You can cut it back to the ground in late winter after it has been established a few years. The underground tubers will send up new shoots that will start the vine all over again.