Thanks very much. I would say it looks defiantly like a Silene sp. I searched on the USDA plants database for Silene sp. and the only possibilities I narrowed it down to are Silene regia and Silene virginica. So I then searched on Flora of North America and it says Silene virginica blooms in spring and Silene regia blooms from summer to fall. But the thing is they say Silene regia has 3 but sometimes up to 5 stamens and that's it. But on this one I counted about 9 stamens. Plus Silene regia pictures I see on the internet have short points or lobes on each petal. This one has 3 to 4 points or lobes on each petal plus deep petal "sinuses". So it might either be a new very rare species of Silene never found before and new to science, or a species not known to Alabama. So if I found a new species I might pass out. LOL

Greenthumbz--Bleach instead of vinegar or ammonia partially because it was at hand, since I keep it around to sterilize tools between diggings. Vinegar and ammonia are okay for spritzing on slugs, but these plants were getting a total emersion bath for an hour, and I didn't want them either pickled or burned. Bleach will also kill off most if not all of the eggs. On using the DE, here is part of an email I sent to someone earlier this week who had a terrible slug infestation. Okay, now to solve your slug problem quickly, cheaply, and organically, three things I strive for in my garden at all times. Go to your local feed store (as in horse and cattle feed) or your local pool supply store, and ask for a large bag of diatomaceous earth. You want the pure stuff, NOT the kind with any added chemicals, or the pelleted kind, just the straight, unadulterated, powdered diatomaceous earth. This is composed of the microscopic skeletal remains of tiny sea creatures, and viewed under a microscope it is very spiky and sharp. Without a microscope, it looks like talcum powder. If a slug touches it, the tiny particles work into its body and kill it. But itÂs harmless to pets, birds, and most other wildlife. It will kill fleas and sowbugs, too, by blocking their breathing apparatus, so it may also do in some of the smaller insects, but mostly itÂs just fatal for slugs. In my garden earthworms are not bothered by DE. Now find yourself one of those parmesan cheese shakers that you see at the local pizza place, or a fine sieve with a handle, or even an empty talcum powder container and fill it with the DE. Shake it around the base of every plant, very close to the base and make a ring around the plant 2 or three inches wide. For plants that are already infested with the slimy critters, shake some right down into the crown of the plant. Then if you are feeling really ambitious, you can also put a line a couple of inches wide around the perimeter of each bed to prevent any more slugs from crawling in. You will want to pull any mulch back from the base of the hostas before applying the DE. I did this in some of my beds 20+ years ago, and still donÂt have any sort of a major slug problem, and I live in the country and have 12 acres of totally naturalized landÂslug heaven. I havenÂt gotten around to doing the newer beds yet, but by now my toad population is such that they deal effectively with most of the slugs. Rain will wash the DE into the soil, and partially off the plants, but there is still enough residue to keep the slugs away, even though it's not readily visible. If you have a really severe problem, you might want to spread the DE around a second time in about a month, then just use it on individual plants that might still have passengers. Feed stores carry DE because itÂs an effective and safe way to deworm sheep, cattle, dogs, horses, and alpacas. Pool supply stores carry it because itÂs used in pool filters. The feed stores are more likely to have or be able to get the pure product, whereas pool supply stores usually stock the stuff with extra chemicals that you donÂt want on your hostas. Both places should be able to easily order a 40 or 50 pound bag for you, and although itÂs probably gone up in price since I last bought it, that size used to be about $10. Hope that helps. It's been almost two weeks now, and the new hostas don't have any new slug damage, so the bleach soak did the trick.

Sounds interesting, Scott. I love to try to ID cats. Pecan being in the same family as Walnut, will have many of the same larvae feeding on them as Walnut. Many moths, on the other hand, are "generalist" feeders, and use so many different larval hosts that it is extremely difficult to ID them. Yes, the Walnut Sphinx is known as the "squeaking" caterpillar. I have never heard any of the ones I've raised make any noise, though. Darn it! I have lots of Pecan and find them on it. I've been sitting on the porch off and on while at my daughter's caring for my GD and watching the neighborhood squirrels run up and down the Walnut tree and scavenging those nuts that have fallen. It is amazing how fast they gnaw off the outer skin and the inner skin before they run back across the street to bury them somewhere. I enjoy watching them, but my daughter has a cat, and they sit in the tree chattering at him until he moves elsewhere. Boy, do they give him a talking to. Most people don't like squirrels, but I find them quite fascinating to watch. I love watching the young ones in the spring. They are very acrobatic when playing with each other, lol! Susan

I see similar leaves every year and do not know what causes them. My plants seem to get affected after a sharp drop in temperature after some very hot days. They always continue to grow and produce. The weird leaves may only last for 1 or 2 branches then return to normal. As the deformed leaves grow in size they often get more and more normal looking. Acid rain? Air polution? Herbicide drift? I don't know but I think you will still get tomatoes, at least I did for the last 3 years with plants that developed leaves like the ones you posted.