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

The next morning, when I went out to water the flowers again, I found myself avoiding that corner of the yard entirely. The Devil’s Fingers was still there, its red limbs curling slightly in the sun, buzzing with curious flies.

I stood a few feet away, oddly fascinated and deeply unsettled at the same time.

In its own way, it was both revolting and remarkable—a reminder that nature doesn’t need to look beautiful to be extraordinary. It can be grotesque, unsettling, even horrifying—and still serve a purpose.

So I decided to leave it alone.

That patch of earth now belongs to it. I water the flowers from a distance, careful not to disturb what I’ve come to think of as “the gift from the devil.”

Sometimes, late in the afternoon when the light hits the ground just right, I can still see a hint of red glistening between the blades of grass. And I’m reminded that even in the most familiar places—our own backyards—nature still has the power to surprise us, frighten us, and humble us all at once.

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