This is not a plant I bought at Home Depot

[Aletheia]

Arriving home just a bit ago from the library, I observed a new member in my front garden. It is an interloper. Not only would I like help ID'ing this orange penile fungus (stop it, it's in the GARDEN), I'd like to see if anyone has any other strange friends to keep it company.

Is this weird or what?
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d934b3127cce92b977b0a53100000025138AcuGbZy1ct5

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d934b3127cce92b977cea54f00000025138AcuGbZy1ct5

And one more, from the top:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d934b3127cce92b977b6a53700000016108AcuGbZy1ct5

Besides deducing that I have way too much time on my hands (for in that you may be right), what the hell is this thing?

[Hangin'in]

sorry, I can't help with the identification... but it is very strange looking.

ETA: I googled orange fungus, and it might be columned stinkhorn. It likes to grow in mulch. Although the pictures I looked at didn't look exactly like yours, I did not look at ALL of the pictures.

[Hangin'in]

oh, and to get rid of it, you have to remove the mulch in that area, and dig it up, along with the surrounding area, to make sure you get all of the spores.

[MeTheGirlie]

orange penile fungus

LOL! That was great.

[Aletheia]

You're kidding. It's actually called "Columned Stinkhorn?" OMG I can't wait for DH to get home. He'll get such a kick out of that, I simply can't wait.

[Witty Username]

You're kidding. It's actually called "Columned Stinkhorn?" OMG I can't wait for DH to get home. He'll get such a kick out of that, I simply can't wait.

I did a search too and I think yours is Elegant Stinkhorn. Not too surprising, but the latin name for common stinkhorn is Phallus impudicus, lol. I'm sure that means Orange Penile Fungus. ;)
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/phallus_impudicus.html

http://www.mushroomexpert.com/mutinus_elegans.html

[Hangin'in]

Yep, I'm going with wittyusername and saying Elegant Stinkhorn. I didn't have time to do a thorough search earlier... but it looked like it was in the "stinkhorn" family...

[greenbunny]

Yuck! That doesn't look very elegant.

Make sure you wash your hands well after digging it up. You might give DH some type of orange disease ;)

[meganth]

http://www.mushroomexpert.com/images/contrib/robertson_phallus_hadriani.jpg

You have GOT to be kidding me.

[Sophia]

meganth, my thought exactly!

[LeslieR]

This thread is hysterical! :D

[JillyBean]

:eek:

[kris97]

We used to have something like this in our yard too! They weren't orange- but they were tall, white, and penis-y. I was so grossed out by them I made DH remove them. This is why I am freaked out by fungi. :)

[Zelda Von Yitz]

http://www.mushroomexpert.com/images/contrib/robertson_phallus_hadriani.jpg

You have GOT to be kidding me.

I think somebody doctored this one up. hee hee