The Morning I Found “The Devil’s Fingers” Growing in My Backyard

It turns out I’m not the first person to be terrified by the sight of it. People across the world have mistaken the Devil’s Fingers for something far more sinister. Some have called emergency services, convinced they’ve found an animal corpse—or worse, human remains. Others have shared photos online, certain they’ve discovered an alien species.

But every time, the explanation is the same: it’s just a mushroom. A living thing, but not one that means harm. Its eerie appearance and smell are simply part of its survival strategy.

Even knowing that, I couldn’t bring myself to go near it again.

A Strange Kind of Respect

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