According to Osho, yes: a foolish human can be ‘worse’ than trees and plants, even before a buddha, because only humans possess freedom. Plants are innocent—neither virtuous nor sinful—fixed by nature. Man’s unmatched freedom is both glory and danger: the power to rise to buddhahood or fall into destructiveness. Folly is stubbornly using freedom to descend. Man is a ladder—from hell’s first rung to heaven’s last—choice decides.
Because only humans can choose, misusing that freedom makes us worse than harmless trees; using it wisely can make us a buddha.