A Frightening Find in the Forest

Imagine walking in the woods when suddenly you spot what looks like a hand clawing out of the earth.

“Oh god. That’s a body.” But it’s not. You’ve just stumbled upon Xylaria polymorpha — more famously known as Dead Man’s Fingers.

This eerie fungus looks like “real fingers, gnarled and black,” emerging from the ground, especially around rotting hardwood stumps.

What Are They Really?

Despite their nightmarish appearance, these are harmless fungi.

“They grow in dead hardwoods, generally stumps or roots, then sit there doing their thing.” Dead Man’s Fingers are saprophytes, meaning they feed on dead material and help recycle it — not on living trees.

Young fungi are soft and pale, but as they age, they darken and harden, often looking like charred fingers, sometimes with lighter tips that resemble fingernails.

Touch or Taste?

You can safely touch them — “they will not give you a rash or ooze anything” — but wash your hands afterward, especially during spore season. As for eating them? “Oh heck no.” They’re not poisonous, just extremely tough and bitter. As the article notes: “This is a good reminder that ‘not toxic’ doesn’t mean something is ‘good to eat.’”

Creepy but Crucial

You’ll find them from late summer into fall, and sometimes even in winter. They prefer shady, damp spots near decaying hardwoods like oak or maple. While the finger-like shape is unintentional, it helps disperse spores. And though they look spooky, they play an important role in the forest. As the author puts it: “Some of the most grotesque can equally be the most helpful.”