The Devil's Fingers

admin
, 30 August 2017
The Devil's Fingers
Devil's fingers / Sam Ellis

Halloween arrived early when this terrifying-looking fungi, known as devil's fingers or octopus stinkhorn, was spotted at Brickfield Meadow nature reserve near Fairwarp. It was this first time this exotic species had been recorded on a Sussex Wildlife Trust nature reserve.

The fungi are native to New Zealand and Australia and made their way over to Europe in 1914, believed to have been introduced through military supplies during the start of the First World War. It was first spotted in Cornwall, gradually spreading to other southern counties in the UK.

While most fungi emerge from the earth or deadwood, the devil’s fingers hatches from a slimy, gelatinous ‘egg’. As the fungi grows, the tentacle-like arms start to protrude eventually reaching a length of 5 to 10 centimetres.

The arms of the alien fungus are covered in a brown foul-smelling goo. The stench they emit is truly horrible, akin to rotting flesh, but it attracts flies that help to disperse the fungi’s spores.

If you spot this amazing fungus in Sussex, please let us know using our species recording form.

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Comments

  • Adèle Anderson:

    Spotted one of these fungi on our land on Monday and took a photo as so unusual and I didn’t know what it was

    31 Aug 2017 12:56:31

  • v.mitchell:

    I have loads of devils fingers this year been erupting for the last couple of weeks.

    01 Sep 2017 07:27:24

  • Susan Horne:

    I saw some devils fingers in top end of perrymans lane, high hurstwood , near A26 a few years ago. Wondered what they were

    03 Sep 2017 06:17:26

  • Geoff Cook:

    Devils Fingers seen by daughter growing in our weald meadow, adjacent to Furnace Wood, off Furnace Lane, Horam on Monday 28 August 2017. OS ref/ TQ571179

    03 Sep 2017 10:05:52

  • Frances and Bill Arter:

    Found something similar in our field today, in Thakeham, but ours is more akin to an image of Asereo rubra except that ours does not have a black centre, it has black spots.

    23 Sep 2017 14:01:22

  • Jason Reid:

    Spotted at Sheffield park

    29 Oct 2022 11:32:00

  • Stephen Kellie:

    Spotted one of these on 19/10/2022 off a woodland path east of A22 Uckfield By-Pass near Maresfield. Took a photo, but cannot see how to submit.

    29 Oct 2022 18:02:00

  • Anna Williamson:

    I saw a Devil’s finger fungus in Buxted Park today. I have a photo if of interest.

    11 Oct 2025 18:14:00

  • Jane Trew:

    12/10/2025 Sighting TN22 5HT area on wooded grass verge

    12 Oct 2025 16:37:00

  • Jane Trew:

    12/10/2025 Sighting TN22 5HT area on wooded grass verge

    18 Oct 2025 20:59:00

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