Mysterious Chinese Seeds Show Up on Your Doorstep?  Here’s What to Do

by | Jul 29, 2020 | Invasive Species, prevention

If you’ve paid attention at all to the news recently or been on social media, you’ve no doubt seen the flood of stories about mysterious seeds arriving in thousands of Americans’ mailboxes from various addresses in China.  The packages may be labelled as jewelry or other common items, may have postage written in Chinese characters and have been documented in multiple states, including Florida.  Little else is currently known about the seed packages and it has not yet been documented if the seeds are harmful invasive species or carry other pathogenic organisms that could wreak havoc on local ecosystems. The illicit introduction of seeds from abroad is a serious concern and is being closely monitored and investigated nationally by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and locally by the Florida Department of Agriculture (FDACS) Division of Plant Industry.

000-Press Release July 27, 20202

Photo courtesy of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

How or why these seeds have made it to Floridian’s doorsteps and P.O. boxes is still anyone’s guess, but the bottom line is that the shipping of undocumented plant material into and out of the U.S. is illegal and potentially hazardous to people, the economy, and the environment.  Here’s what to do if one of these packages of seeds shows up in your mailbox:

  • Do not open the seed packets and avoid opening outer packaging or mailing materials.
  • Do not plant any of the seeds.
  • Do not dispose of the seeds; releasing them into our local ecosystems could prove harmful.
  • Limit contact with the seed package until further guidance on handling, disposal, or collection is available from USDA.
  • Report the seeds to your local UF/IFAS Extension office. Your local Extension Agent will be able to help you document and ensure that the seeds are reported to the correct authorities.
  • Make sure the seeds get also get reported to the FDACS Division of Plant Industry at 1-888-397-1517 or online at DPIhelpline@FDACS.gov
Daniel J. Leonard
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