Ken Hixson wrote, At 08:54 PM 4/18/2004 -0700, you wrote: >Mary Sue, thank you for mentioning Veratrum, and Jane, thank you for >adding to the subject. I've never grown them, though have often thought >they would be attractive architectural plants, if only the leaves were >not so consistently shredded My question is, is this slug/snail >damage? The early season leaves >I've seen are usually not damaged, and the damage pattern is more consistant >with caterpillers than slugs--ie, the leafblades are eaten between the ribs >of the leaves, not from the outside in as in the usual pattern of slugs. >It is always interesting that some creatures seem able to eat plants which >are poisonous to most others. > Since the leaves are sometimes damaged on plants at high elevations, where there are no slugs, something else must be eating them. However, I have seen slugs feeding on young plants here. Slugs eat a lot of poisonous stuff, like Colchicum leaves and flowers. Ken, if you live near the Portland area, let me know later in the summer and I'll dig up a big Veratrum for you so you won't have to wait 10 years for it to mature. Jane McGary Northwestern Oregon, USA