The Truth Behind the “Creature” I Found Will Make Your Skin Crawl

What I had found wasn’t an alien or an animal—it was a mushroom. Its name: Anthurus archeri, more commonly known as the devil’s fingers.

This eerie fungus, originally from Australia and Tasmania, has now spread to many parts of the world. It begins as a white, egg-like pod, but soon red tentacles burst out—covered in slime and reeking of decay. The smell attracts flies, which help spread its spores.

People who stumble upon it for the first time often mistake it for something otherworldly. Some even call the police or emergency services. But it’s just a bizarre creation of nature—alive, strange, and unsettlingly beautiful in its own way.

Now, I avoid that corner of the yard entirely. I don’t water the flowers there anymore. Let it grow on its own—some things, especially the devil’s gifts, are better left undisturbed.