Homeowner writes off giant yard 'weed' until it turns out to be one of two thriving cherry tomato plants

A plant that a homeowner had written off as a yard weed turned out to be a massive cherry tomato plant that seemed to be growing with almost no attention.

The discovery became even stranger when the Reddit user found a second plant elsewhere on the property.

What happened?

In a post on Reddit, a homeowner explained that a neglected plant in the yard was eventually identified as a cherry tomato plant.

Despite poor soil, no support, and little or no watering, the plants appeared to be doing well.

"Within the past 2-3 weeks me and my folks saw 1 large plant growing in our yard," the original poster wrote. "I honestly thought it was a weed."

It turned out to be a cherry tomato plant that had grown to be "about the size of a bench."

The surprise did not end there. The homeowner said there was "a second one on the other side of the house in our backyard," tucked into "a corner right next to weeds!" Even though no one seemed to have watered it, the plant was "clearly producing tiny tomatoes!"

"These guys were thriving on literally nothing," the original poster added.

Why does it matter?

Cherry tomatoes can indeed be among the easier edible plants for beginners, and volunteer tomato plants sometimes sprout from dropped fruit, compost, or seeds spread by animals.

That does not mean every tomato plant will thrive without care.

Growing produce at home can help lower grocery bills, especially for pricey fresh items such as tomatoes.

Homegrown produce also often tastes better because it can fully ripen before being picked. Gardening can also support mental and physical health by encouraging time outdoors, light exercise, and stress relief.

One Reddit user joked: "This is why tomatoes are the gateway drug into gardening!"

"The hardest part of cherry tomatoes is keeping up with the harvest. At some point the plant wins and you give up," another warned.

"They grow by accident. Effort not needed. The effort comes into play when you want them to stop spreading," another commenter added.

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