02-05-2025
Woman Wonders Why Plants Not Growing Properly, Catches Culprit Red-Handed
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
When a keen gardener noticed that her mint plant wasn't growing as expected, it took a while for her to work out why.
But in a viral video, Merissa (@merissammartin) shared the reason—a chicken who had decided to nap in the center of the plant.
Merissa shared the hilarious moment in a video with more than 430,000 views on TikTok. She uncovered the true reason behind the suspicious lack of growth in the center of her mint bush: Butter, her Buff Orpington hen, had been secretly nesting in the middle of the plant.
In the video, Butter was cozily tucked away in the heart of the mint. Over the footage, Merissa wrote: "I've been wondering why my mint hasn't been growing in the middle the last week or so... today I discovered the culprit." While the caption joked: "Cool Butter, thanks."
As the unexpected video gained more attention, people reacted in the comments.
"The way I said, 'oh must be a cat' just to be fooled by a chicken," said viewer J. While commenter Claire joked: "So that's how butter mints are made."
Others were quite jealous of the chicken's laid-back naptime. "You're ruining her nap," joked Willy. While viewer rmnaflwrss said: "Oh to be a hen in a mint plant."
A screenshot from the video that revealed the reason for the plant's unusual growth.
A screenshot from the video that revealed the reason for the plant's unusual growth.
@merissammartin/TikTok
Some animal owners even shared similar experiences. "My chickens are obsessed with mint. Can't get enough of it," one user wrote. Another added: "I had a horticulture/animal husbandry internship on a farm last summer and the ducks and chickens did this to the herb beds constantly... even leaving eggs in the middle."
Despite Butter's cozy presence, fans reassured Merissa that her mint would survive as mint is known to be a hardy and easily-spreading plant.
"She won't ruin your mint. Napalm wouldn't ruin your mint," joked one commenter. Another joked: "Don't feel bad. Mint runs on air and spite. This chicken is keeping it contained."
This isn't the first time an animal has been found hiding among nature. In 2022, a viral picture shared the moment a cat named Xena was found sitting among a snake plant, watching the world go by.
"This is her favorite porch spot in my snake plant, she is watching over the yard," the owner told Newsweek.
While commenters couldn't get enough of the feline's antics. One commenter joked: "Cats are such weirdos, I love them."
Newsweek reached out to @merissammartin via TikTok for comment.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
