Mother Earth never ceases to amaze us with her extraordinary creations. From massive bats to angry-looking snakes, the wonders of nature are endless. But when Regan Daniels stumbled upon something truly unique during her walk in Western North Carolina, she couldn’t believe her eyes.

She captured the strange sight with her camera and shared it in a Facebook group called Mushroomcore. The group, with its 30,000 members, is accustomed to breathtaking forest photographs, but Regan’s discovery stood out among the rest.

What did Regan find? It was a fungus called Dead Man’s Fingers (Xylaria polymorpha). This fungus earned its name due to its eerie resemblance to a buried person’s desperate attempt to escape from beneath the forest floor, with swollen and blackened “fingers” reaching towards the sky.

In her Facebook post, Regan wrote, “Saw this Dead Man’s Fingers (or toes in this case) fungus that I literally thought was a Halloween decoration!” The appearance of this fungus is indeed stunning and distinctive. While it can be found all year round, it is most commonly seen on stumps or buried deadwood of broadleaved trees, particularly beech.

However, don’t be fooled by its appearance. According to First-Nature, the Dead Man’s Fingers fungus is not commonly considered edible. It only invades dead or dying wood, which is why it often breaks through moss and rotting leaves.

Regan came across these macabre-looking clusters of Xylaria polymorpha in a park she frequents in North Carolina. They were emerging from a stump, surrounded by similar mushrooms. Some people initially doubted the authenticity of her photographs, but the mushrooms are indeed real, as numerous intriguing images of them can be found online.

When asked about her find, Regan told Bored Panda, “I found the mushroom in Western North Carolina in the United States at a park that I frequent. The walk is nice, and it’s next to the French Broad River, so there’s a lot of good scenery.”

Interestingly, despite the popularity of the location, the mushrooms she found remained intact. This might be due to the fact that few people dare to touch them, possibly perceiving them as toxic or potentially harmful.

Mother Earth’s surprises are truly remarkable, reminding us of the fascinating beauty that lies within nature.