Let’s say you’ve gone for a walk in the woods, perhaps you’re a little off-track, maybe you’re mushroom hunting or just passing the time, and then boom: you catch what appears to be a hand clawing its way out of the ground. Real fingers, gnarled and black, cresting through leaf litter — like something out of a terrible nightmare. Your brain immediately switches into horror movie mode. “Oh god. That’s a body.”
No body. You’ve just encountered one of the more bizarre fungal residents of the forest: Dead Man’s Fingers.
The name is creepy enough, but even the scientific name, Xylaria polymorpha, is somewhat less disturbing than what it happens to look like. I saw it for the first time on a damp and overcast autumn afternoon, with leaves everywhere, slick and half-rotting, and as I poked around a rotting stump I noticed a little tuft of finger-like structures, charcoal-colored, and disturbingly spread out in a human-like way. I froze for a second, took a few steps back, and then crouched down to inspect it more carefully — since curiosity always wins.
So… What Are These Creepy Things?
They’re fungi, of course, but not the kind that shows up in storybooks with red caps and white spots. This stuff does not scream “fairy tale” — it looks more like burnt sausages or dried roots which became stuck halfway to being a corpse’s hand. They grow in dead hardwoods, generally stumps or roots, then sit there doing their thing.
Here’s the main distinction: they do not parasitize. They are saprophytes, meaning they thrive on dead organic material. They do not hurt living trees. In fact, they recycle decaying wood, slowly breaking it down
When young, they are soft, pale, and a little fleshy. When they become older, they dry and harden to black with tips that are generally lighter, and sometimes even white. This factor helps with finger resemblance as well. They are not very big, about one to two inches tall, but they grow in groups that can resemble a hand reaching out of the soil.
Edible?
Oh heck no. Technically not poisonous, but super woody; chewing on one would be the same as gnawing on a stick. Even dried and ground, it would only be bitter, unpleasant, and a waste of time. This is a good reminder that “not toxic” doesn’t mean something is “good to eat.”
Look at them, take a creepy picture, but don’t consider putting one in your dinner
Safe to touch?
Yes. Dead Man’s Fingers are not dangerous to touch, they will not give you a rash or ooze anything. That said, however, they’re wild fungi; you should wash your hands after handling, especially if you are out during so-called “spore season” and prone to allergies.
When and where can you see them?
You’ll see them from late in the summer and into fall, but once dried and hardened they’re fairly persistent, decaying very slowly for most of the year. Some may even appear to be poking through snow.
Look for them around hardwoods, especially oak, beech, or maple, at the base of rotting stumps or related to detached roots. They prefer shady, damp conditions.
Why do they look like fingers?
It is not intentional. They are not “trying” to resemble fingers, it is purely how they are growing. The elongated shape is likely related to spore dispersal. The creepy resemblance to human anatomy is accidental. However, the coloration of the tips can appear to be fingernails, which does not help their horror film reputation.
Why you should care?
Because they are fascinating if you can get past the creepiness. Despite their unrealistic or terrifying appearance, Dead Man’s Fingers play an important role in the ecosystem. They break down hard and tough hardwood, creating enriched soil for new plants to grow, which in turn give back to the entire forest.
It’s a good reminder that some of the most grotesque can equally be the most helpful.
So, the next time you are out hiking and see what looks like a skeleton’s hand coming out of the ground, don’t run away — take a photo and google it. You most likely met Xylaria polymorpha. Dead Man’s Fingers. Weird name, weirder look, but outside of the “dead thing” part, quite amazing.