Don't Plant The Seeds

Don't Plant The Seeds

Rick Worthington
Rick Worthington
Don't Plant The Seeds

You have probably seen the story about strange seeds from China showing up in the mail to people around the country.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has now identified some of the plant species and have warned the seeds could be invasive plant species.

Osama El-Lissy is with the US Department of Agriculture says - whatever you do - don't plant those seeds.

So far, however, the species appear to be innocuous. At least 14 of the seed species had been identified as of July 29, according to Deputy Administrator Osama El-Lissy of the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. They includes mustard, cabbage and morning glory as well as herbs like mint, sage, rosemary and lavender. He said hibiscus and roses were also found.

Although the species identified so far are harmless, plant experts have warned that seeds from other parts of the world could damage crops.

The Agriculture Department has said the packages are most likely part of a "brushing" scam, in which a seller sends unsolicited items to someone and then posts false positive customer reviews to boost sales.

"Brushing scams involving seed packets in international mail shipments are not uncommon," the USDA said. "U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has intercepted similar seed shipments in recent years."

Residents in all 50 states have reported receiving the suspicious packages of seeds. The USDA continues to investigate.

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