‘Alien pod’ on Outer Banks tree looks and feels like hair, park says. What is it?

A pale, hairy blob was found stuck to a tree on a remote North Carolina island, prompting an explanation from the National Park Service.

Park rangers discovered the odd sight Friday, Feb. 24, on the Shackleford Banks, a barrier island populated by wild horses and accessible only by boat.

“Have you ever seen one of these on a tree?“ Cape Lookout National Seashore asked in a Facebook post. “It actually felt like a bunch of hair when touched.”

A photo shows the furry clump was without features of any kind and appeared to be nearly twice the size of a human hand.

The post was also shared by the National Park Service, prompting 1,400 reactions and comments as of March 1, including references to an “alien pod.”

Others likened it to the notorious “Star Trek” Tribble ... and a corgi “stuck in the tree”

“It definitely looks like fur, like a rabbit climbing a tree,” Thomas Dyr wrote.

So what is it?

“It is known as a ‘lion’s mane’ fungus or mushroom and is native to North America,” the park reported.

“It can be identified by its tendency to grow in a single clump and its occurrence on hardwoods. It is not dangerous to humans.”

Lion’s mane mushrooms have “a long history of use in East Asian medicine,” with some believing they protect nerves and the stomach lining, Webmd.com reports. “People use lion’s mane mushroom for Alzheimer disease, dementia, stomach problems, and many other conditions.”

Fans of the mushroom went so far as to offer recipe ideas — for anyone daring enough to eat the fungus.

“Delicious. Taste like crab,” one woman wrote.

This story was originally published March 1, 2023 at 8:00 AM with the headline "‘Alien pod’ on Outer Banks tree looks and feels like hair, park says. What is it?."