In the yard I found a slimy, reddish creature that emanated an unpleasant smell: I was horrified when I realized that it was

At first, it looks like a white egg—but soon red tentacles emerge from it, like claws or fingers.

These tentacles are covered in slime and emit a terrible carrion smell to attract flies, which spread its spores.

People who see it for the first time often think they’ve found the remains of an alien. Some even call the police or rescuers.

But it’s just a mushroom. Alive, strange, and perhaps one of theContinue reading…