Got mystery seeds in mail from China? Don’t plant them, SLO County officials warn
If you get an unsolicited package of seeds in the mail, don’t open it — those seeds could belong to an invasive species.
A handful of California counties reported to the U.S. Department of Agriculture that their residents received unsolicited packages of seeds that appeared to be from China or other foreign countries, according to San Luis Obispo County’s deputy agricultural commissioner Tom Morgan.
San Luis Obispo County residents hadn’t received any mystery seeds as of Monday — or at least they hadn’t reported it to the county’s Agriculture, Weights and Measures Department yet, Morgan said.
But San Luis Obispo County could be the next target of this strange scheme.
Recipients of unsolicited seed packages, potted seeds or seeds germinated into plants should not open, plant or dispose of them. The seeds could belong to an invasive species or contain pathogens detrimental to local plants and agriculture, he said.
Instead, keep the seeds and mailing label, then report the incident to the San Luis Obispo County Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures at 805-781-5910.
County staff will collect the seeds for testing and proper disposal, he said.
“We’re trying to protect our environment from any of these invasive weeds, pests or plant diseases,” Morgan said.
Those who planted the seeds should reach out to the department for assistance.
County staff would remove anything the recipient planted, then screen the materials for pathogens, he said. There is no punishment for planting the seeds.
“Invasive and exotic species can be detrimental to the environment by impacting native ecosystems, damaging crops and potentially poisoning livestock,” San Luis Obispo County agricultural commissioner Martin Settevendemie said in a news release. “Excluding and preventing their introduction is effective in reducing the impact to San Luis Obispo County and to protect our robust agricultural economy.”
The last time San Luis Obispo County residents received similar mystery shipments was in 2020, Morgan said.
In 2020, officials from all 50 states warned residents about unsolicited packages of seeds labeled by the China Post, CNN reported at the time.
China’s foreign ministry said “the address labels were forged and that China Post has asked USPS to send those packages to China for investigation,” the CNN article said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture didn’t know who sent the packages or why, but officials speculated that the phenomenon was related to a brushing scam, “when third-party sellers send people items they didn’t order and write glowing product reviews on their behalf,” the CNN article said.
More recently, residents of Alabama, Texas and New Mexico received packages of seeds that appeared to be sent from China — and officials don’t yet know why, the New York Times reported in March.
