Skip to content 
Cautiously, I walked a few steps further. My gaze wandered over the beds until I suddenly discovered something that definitely didn’t belong there. Right next to the flowers was a strange, reddish formation that moved slightly. Its surface seemed damp and unusually structured, almost as if it were alive. For a short moment, I couldn’t classify what I actually had in front of me.
My first thought was that it might be an unusual larva or a rare animal. But the longer I looked, the less sense it made. The shape, the color and especially the smell did not match anything I had known before. The situation felt surreal, almost as if I had discovered something that didn’t belong in my garden.
To get clarity, I grabbed my phone, took a photo and immediately started researching. I described what I saw as well as I could and looked for similar images. After a short time I came across an explanation,
which was hard to believe at first.
The unusual find was a real fungus called Clathrus archeri, which is often referred to as the “devil’s finger” in German. Originally from Australia and Tasmania, this mushroom has spread to other parts of the world over time.
Its development is as fascinating as its appearance. At first, it appears as an inconspicuous, whitish structure reminiscent of an egg. Over time, this shell opens up, and several red, finger-like structures unfold outwards. This unusual shape ensures that many people do not recognize it as a mushroom at first glance.