Encounter Atlas
The Vegetable Man is a West Virginia creature based on one man's story. Jennings Frederick said that in July 1968, while hunting groundhogs near Grant Town, he heard high-pitched jabbering, received a message asking for help, and was grabbed by a seven-foot humanoid with very thin, plant-like arms and long fingers tipped with needles and suction cups that drew his blood.
He said its yellow eyes turned red and it bounded away in huge leaps, after which he heard humming from the woods. The account was first published in 1976 by Gray Barker, a writer known for promoting and inventing UFO stories, including the Men in Black.
A Skeptical Inquirer investigation found the story rests entirely on a single witness reported by a known hoaxer. Fairmont now holds an annual Veggie Man Day celebrating West Virginia cryptids.
What witnesses report
- A thin, green, plant-like humanoid
- Long fingers with needle tips
- High-pitched jabbering
- Yellow eyes turning red
Famous cases
- 1968Jennings Frederick's claimed encounter
Grant Town, West Virginia
Seen the Vegetable Man?
Tell us what happened. Every report is read by a person before it goes on the map, and you can stay anonymous.
