'Citizen Pruner' Admits Buddhist Church Plant Attack: Report

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — In a major development regarding the recently injured hydrangea on the Upper West Side, the man who ripped out the plant from the New York Buddhist Church's garden has come forward.

The development was first reported by the West Side Rag.

Karl Palma, the church's caretaker, had posted a video of the action on Facebook Wednesday with a plea to help find the man.

It was a neighbor all along.

"I am a certified "Citizen Pruner" living next door who regularly water the plants on front of our stoop. The plant in question was neglected for the whole summer to the point that all the leaves dried out and fell out," the neighbor told the West Side Rag. "After an abundant thundershower last August, some of the lower leaves sprouted back but the mid and top part of the plant was dried and dead to the point of no return."

The neighbor added that he felt "compelled" to prune the hydrangea branches because some of them were dead and dry.

"It is because the plant was not adequately watered during the summer months and it dried out! Also, an annual invasive vine had already wrapped around the mid-top crown. I have apologized for over-stepping but I would like to make clear that I pruned ONLY dead branches," the neighbor continued to the West Side Rag. "Over 2/3 of the plant were already dead. Maybe, the caretaker Karl, can share a video of the plant minutes before I pruned it so we can all see the leafless dry branches that were removed."

A Citizen Pruner is an official designation given out by a nonprofit organization called Trees of New York. You need to take a course that consists of eight hours of classroom training and four hours of hands-on experience.

Palma, who is again talking to police on Friday about the incident, disagrees with the neighbors explanation.

"The fact of the matter is, it is not his plant," Palma told Patch. "He could have called the temple and inquired to help, but no, he put the law in his own hands and he messed it up bad."

Palma told Patch on Wednesday that police said the level of punishment for the action would depend on whether the injured hydrangea plant survives.

The New York Buddhist Church is located at 331 Riverside Drive and has served the community since 1938; more information about what the house of worship does is available on its website.

Read More: Man Destroys Hydrangea Outside UWS Buddhist Church: Video