Report of East Village Pot Garden Goes Up in Smoke

Pot was purportedly found growing near an East Village sidewalk last week

Wikimedia Commons/United States Fish and Wildlife Service

By Patrick Hedlund

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

EAST VILLAGE — Is someone boldly growing where no man has grown before?

NYC The Blog published a photograph last Friday of a pot plant purportedly peeking out from behind a chain-link fence near Second Avenue and East First Street, prompting the author to speculate on whether urban farmers are utilizing the city’s "green" space in illicit ways.

"Is this a public art project meant as wry commentary on how New York City is going to pot?" the blog asked. "You can’t tell me otherwise."

Several news outlets picked up the story and spread the word on neighborhood pot, but a survey of the area near the intersection in question didn’t yield any more encounters with the offending flora Monday.

One local thought the idea of weed growing wild in the are was pure bunk.

"I’ve never seen anything like that," said Natividad Zirate, 64, a bike repairman who works daily at the corner of Second Avenue and East Houston Street overlooking a vacant lot with plenty of overgrown greenery — but none of the familiar, five-leafed plant.

"I think somebody’s making it up."