Its bright pink, pimpled surface and strong odor are designed to attract flies. These insects help spread the mushroom’s spores — allowing it to reproduce and thrive.

This bizarre mushroom is also known as the “octopus tentacles” fungus — not exactly a charming name, but definitely less creepy than it looks. When it emerges, it literally tears through its outer shell with claw-like structures. What follows is a dramatic display: 4 to 8 tentacle-like arms unfold, bright pink, covered in bumps, and giving off a foul odor.

That smell is no accident — it attracts flies, which land on the mushroom and then carry its spores elsewhere, helping it spread.

According to experts, the only stage of this fungus that’s technically edible is the egg phase, and even then, it’s only considered safe in extreme survival situations. Honestly, you’re better off skipping it and finding some berries instead.