Vegetable Man, from the United States: what it is and what people believe

The Vegetable Man is a humanoid figure in West Virginia folklore. Jennings Frederick reportedly encountered it near Grant Town in 1968, and Gray Barker, a writer known for hoaxes, first described it in print in 1976 as a thin, plant-like being. No evidence has been documented and no later sightings are reported.

Share on WhatsApp

Jennings Frederick said he met the creature near Grant Town in 1968.
Gray Barker printed the first description in a 1976 newsletter.
The being was described as thin and plant-like, with yellow eyes and pointed ears.
No evidence of the sighting has been documented, and no later sightings are reported.
Veggie Man Day began in Fairmont, West Virginia, in 2024.

What it is

The Vegetable Man is a humanoid figure from West Virginia folklore. A local man, Jennings Frederick, was said to have met it near Grant Town in 1968. Eight years later the writer Gray Barker put the story into print in a newsletter. Barker called the being thin and plant-like, with pointed ears, yellow eyes and fingers that ended in needle-like cups. No physical proof of the encounter has been recorded, and the creature has not been reported again. Barker had a reputation for hoaxes, and later writing questions the report.

Where it comes from

The story begins with an account Frederick gave about July 1968. He said he was returning from an unsuccessful groundhog hunt near Grant Town when he heard rapid, high-pitched chatter under a maple tree. In his telling, a tall, very thin humanoid seized his wrist, drew blood, and then jumped away in long bounds while he heard humming from the woods. He first told his family that briars caused the injury. He shared the tale with Barker months later. The printed version appeared in Barker's newsletter in 1976. The account is a single claimed encounter, and later writing treats it as a hoax or folklore.

Vegetable Man, drawn and placed

Emblem yellow and red, with the feather shape. Drawn from this page, not a photograph.

Living
Revived
Fading
Historical
Legendary
Performed

Standing: Legendary Known from myth, story and legend rather than from recorded practice. This says whether people still do it, not whether it works.

A feather: used in cleansing and blessing in some traditions, worn as a sign of office, and carried as a charm.

Lineage: West Virginia folklore

Where it sits The tradition it belongs to, and when it is done.

Peoples and places

The tale belongs to West Virginia, in the United States. Grant Town is the named location of the claimed sighting. The newsletter that printed it was Barker's. Later discussion comes from a researcher, Daniel A. Reed, writing in Skeptical Inquirer, and from the Gray Barker Collection at the Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library. The story is attached to one place and one claimed witness.

At a glance: who, where and when

Occasions

Festivals

What people believe

In Frederick's telling, the creature asked for medical help and said it came in peace. He did not make clear whether he heard a voice or received a thought. He assumed the being was from space and linked humming in the woods to a craft. Earlier, in April 1965, his mother Ivah Frederick said she saw a saucer-shaped object and a small dark creature tied to it. Frederick sent casts and hair samples to the U.S. Air Force, which replied that the craft was a weather balloon and did not return the evidence.

When it is done

The claimed meeting is placed in July 1968, during a groundhog hunt. A public observance, Veggie Man Day, began in 2024 in Fairmont, West Virginia. It honors this creature and other West Virginia cryptids. The printed version appeared in a newsletter dated March 10, 1976.

How scholars and sceptics see it

Daniel A. Reed, writing for Skeptical Inquirer, examined the case through the Gray Barker Collection at the Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library. He noted that the whole story depends on one person's testimony, that the only recorded report went to a writer known for hoaxes, and that no physical evidence exists. Reed also contrasted Frederick's effort in documenting his mother's claimed UFO sighting with the lack of similar effort for his own. A library display says Barker gathered rumors, reports, dreams and tall tales, and that many were stretched or made up. Reporter Sam Gorski described the tale as a hoax that is not widely known.

Cautions and what is closed

The account includes a claimed injury: Frederick said the creature gripped his wrist until it bled. No physical trace of the injury is reported. The main caution in later writing is about source reliability. Barker was commonly known as a hoaxer, and Reed said he urged people to invent stories. The only report of the creature came through him. The story has been used as an example of a small hoax rather than a verified encounter.

Compare and confuse

The creature is also called the Veggie Man. It is listed alongside the Flatwoods monster, another West Virginia creature. The tale shares ground with UFO reports: Frederick's mother described a saucer, and he thought the humming in the woods came from a craft. The story is a single modern monster report with one claimed witness.

Today

The creature now has a local public life. Veggie Man Day began in 2024 in Fairmont, West Virginia, and includes other West Virginia cryptids. The Vegetable Man also appears in the video game Fallout 76. Research access to the story is helped by the Gray Barker Collection at the Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library. Beyond these, no later sightings are reported.

Questions people ask about Vegetable Man

What is the Vegetable Man?

It is a humanoid creature in West Virginia folklore. Jennings Frederick reportedly saw it near Grant Town in 1968. Gray Barker first described it in print in 1976 as a thin, plant-like being with yellow eyes, pointed ears and fingers tipped with needle-like cups.

Where does the story come from?

The claimed encounter took place near Grant Town, West Virginia, in July 1968. Frederick told the tale to writer Gray Barker, who published it in his newsletter in 1976. Barker was known as a hoaxer, and researchers treat the story as a single unverified report.

Is there evidence for the creature?

No physical evidence of the encounter has been documented. There have been no later sightings. Daniel A. Reed noted that the case rests on one witness and that the only recorded report was given to a writer known for hoaxes. A reporter, Sam Gorski, described the tale as a hoax that is not widely known.

What is Veggie Man Day?

Veggie Man Day began in 2024 in Fairmont, West Virginia. It honors the Veggie Man and other West Virginia cryptids. The observance is separate from the 1968 claimed encounter and gives the story a public local celebration.

What does the creature look like?

Descriptions in the 1976 newsletter present a thin, plant-like humanoid with pointed ears and yellow eyes. Its fingers were said to end in needle-like suction cups. In Frederick's account the eyes turned red when it gripped his wrist.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Vegetable Man (creature)", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryJaadu rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes. Names and customs differ from one community to the next, and some knowledge is closed to outsiders and left out here. This page describes belief and practice. It does not say that any of it works, it is not a how-to, and it is not medical advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-19.

Vegetable Man