9 spooky photos of dead man’s finger fungus

The zombie-looking fungi is found throughout the United States.

By Popular Science Team

Published Oct 31, 2026 8:00 AM EDT

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a fungus that looks like a hand coming out of the ground — 'Xylaria polymorpha' is an opportunistic fungus. Image: Stan Tekiela Author / Naturalist / Wildlife Photographer / Getty Images

What’s Halloween without a little fun-gi. Arguably the most creepy of all fungi, Xylaria polymorpha can look like decaying zombie fingers creeping up from the forest floor. Commonly called dead man’s finger fungus, it and other similar sinister-looking fungi in the genus Xylaria grow throughout the United States.

Take a look at at nine creepy pictures of this fungus—if you dare.

a fungi that looks like a hand coming out of grass — Dead man’s fingers are usually spotted at the bottom of decaying or dead trees. They break down deceased wood and release nutrients into the soil so that new plants can grow. Image: NPS/Bradburn.

a white fingus that looks like a hand — The finger-like shapes themselves are the fungi’s sexual reproductive structures. Image: Khlongwangchao via Getty Images.

a black fungus that looks like fingers coming up from the ground — Like a real human finger, their exteriors can be rather stiff and strong. That firmness helps them to release spores and increase their chances of reproducing. Image: NPS Wheeler.

a fungi that looks like fingers — Xylaria are incredibly opportunistic genus and can release these spores for several months or even years. Image: NPS/Stiteler.

a fungus taht looks like fingers comign outof leaces — The mushrooms grow from the forest floor among dry autumn oak leaves, with a mossy tree background in soft focus. Image: grechanyk via Getty Images.

fungi that look like fingers — Simply plucking a dead man’s finger from the base of a tree doesn’t get rid of the fungi itself. It is merely the tip of a much larger organism. Image: NPS.

a black fungus that looks like fingers coming out of the dirt — The creepy fungus is found on six continents. Image: Dr. John A Horsfall via Getty Images.

a white fungus that looks like a hand — Some species of Xylaria are known to cause black root rot, but that is typically a problem on trees or shrubs that were stressed already. Image: Riski Wayuningsih via Getty Images.

a black fungus that looks like a hand — Don’t worry. It’s completely harmless to humans, despite its walking dead-like appearance. Image: imageBROKER/Frank Leo via Getty Images.