Mysterious Seed Packages from China Raise Concerns, Spark Warnings

Over the last month, a growing number of residents across the U.S. have been receiving unsolicited packets of seeds in the mail, apparently from China.

According to an initial statement by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), one of the first reported packages containing unidentified seeds was delivered to Clute, Texas. That Feb. 4 statement said that the TDA promptly forwarded the package and contents to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). 

It was confirmed in a Feb. 7 statement from TDA that the contents of that first package were seeds of an aquatic plant Nelumbo nucifera, more commonly referred to as sacred lotus or Indiana lotus. An aquatic plant, sacred lotus is considered invasive and prohibited in one state – Wisconsin.

One of the Texans affected reported ordering a dog toy from the Chinese vendor Temu, only to  receive a package of seeds instead. It’s not clear if that’s the path by which all seed packages are being delivered.

In its latest statement on the matter on Feb. 14, TDA said that the address of one resident in Frisco, Texas, was “fraudulently used as the return address on boxes containing several unidentified seed packages … resulting in recipients sending the unwanted packages back to the return address and the Frisco resident being inundated with returned boxes they did not pack or ship.” For that reason, TDA Commissioner Sid Miller encouraged residents to report rather than return any seed packages.

Multiple States Affected

TDA said that residents in other states, including both Florida and Washington State, have reported receiving similar packages.

According to Dr. Trevor Smith, director of the Division of Plant Industry at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, as of Feb. 21, Florida had “not seen a recent uptick in reports of residents receiving unsolicited seeds from foreign sources.” Smith said, “If Florida residents receive such packages, they should not open or plant the seeds and can call our helpline at 1-888-397-1517.”

The Washington State Department of Agriculture told Successful Farming that, as of March 7, they had received 13 phone calls from Washington residents reporting receipt of unsolicited seeds. All residents were instructed by the department to double bag the seeds and throw them away.

TDA has told residents that receive a foreign package containing seeds to not open it, to keep the contents sealed in the original packaging, and to immediately contact the TDA at (800) TELL-TDA.

Response From USDA APHIS

According to USDA, one of the roles of APHIS is to protect U.S. agriculture and natural resources against the entry, establishment, and spread of economically and environmentally significant invasive pests and diseases.

APHIS told Successful Farming that it’s aware of the uptick in reporting of unsolicited seeds, is following up on the reports, and will share more information as it develops. “Sacred lotus is not considered a federal noxious weed that would be a high concern,” said a spokesperson for the agency.

According to APHIS, there’s no evidence indicating this is a coordinated attempt to harm U.S. Agriculture. 

In the meantime, the agency asks that “anyone who receives an unsolicited package of seeds to contact their state plant regulatory official or APHIS state plant health director. Please hold onto the seeds and packaging, including the mailing label, until someone from your state department of agriculture or APHIS contacts you with further instructions. Do not plant seeds from unknown origins.”

Not the First Time

This could be just the beginning of unsolicited deliveries if the current situation is anything like that of five years ago. In the summer of 2020, seed packages were delivered to residents all over the U.S. and other countries. 

Over half of the nation’s state agriculture departments issued statements warning residents about receiving seed packets from China, according to a New York Times article. Many of those statements are no longer available on state sites.

Although USDA APHIS apparently posted guidelines on what residents should do upon receipt of mystery seeds, the agency did not keep those guidelines posted. APHIS told Successful Farming that updated guidance on planting seeds purchased online have been published and can be found here. 

The 2020 ordeal prompted Amazon to ban foreign sales of seeds into the U.S. according to this report by the Wall Street Journal.

Ultimately, USDA determined that the 2020 deliveries were not an attempt at harm but a “brushing scam,” which is when a retailer ships a large amount of inexpensive items to recipients who did not order them, posts reviews on their behalf, and in turn fraudulently boosts their products’ ratings and sales numbers. Brushing scams are illegal in the U.S. 

USDA’s announcement of the findings from its investigation are no longer available on the agency’s website, but those findings were reported by multiple ag outlets, including Food Safety News and Modern Farmer.

A reporter from Vice investigated how widely spread the 2020 deliveries were, as well as the government and public response.

After poring over 52 freedom of information requests – one with each of the departments of agriculture or equivalent in all 50 states plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico – and USDA reports, the reporter said, “Conservatively, it is safe to say that tens of thousands of Americans received what they perceived to be Chinese mystery seeds in July … Many of these seed receivers, regardless of location, panicked.”