Mystery Seeds Arriving In American Mailboxes From China Could Be ‘Invasive Plant Species’

Shipments of foreign seeds are arriving mysteriously into the mailboxes of Americans across the country. The packets of seeds are suspected to have originated from China.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and agriculture official across the country have warned people and advised them not to plant the seeds arriving mysteriously in their mailboxes. The officials suspect that these seeds could be for an “invasive plant species.”

It has been confirmed by media that residents across all 50 states in the U.S. have now reported having received shipments of foreign seeds in their mailboxes. There is, however, no clarity from where these may have originated.

"USDA is aware that people across the country have received suspicious, unsolicited packages of seed that appear to be coming from China," said the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on Tuesday, July 28.

"Pls don't plant seeds from unknown origins!" the agency posted from its official Twitter account on Tuesday.

The state agriculture officials in Virginia highlighted the destruction that the plants can cause if they turn out to be an invasive species.

They said that invasive plant species can destroy crops and native plants and insects. Therefore, not planting the seeds is the only effective way to stop the infestation caused by invasive plant species and prevent the cost of mitigating the effects of the infestation.

It is not clear what type of seeds are there in the package, who sent them and whether it could cause any harm. However, state agriculture officials are pleading the public to not use them. People in Kentucky have been asked to contact the state agriculture department immediately if they receive the package.

"At this point in time, we don't have enough information to know if this is a hoax, a prank, an internet scam or an act of agricultural bioterrorism," said Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles. "Unsolicited seeds could be invasive and introduce unknown diseases to local plants, harm livestock or threaten our environment."