Texas is urging residents to report unsolicited packages of seeds or liquid that arrive in the mail, warning they might be harmful.
A resident in Clute, a suburb of Houston, received a mystery package of unidentified seeds and a container of liquid from China, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said.
The state forwarded the package to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for identification and testing, according to a news release.
“Folks, please take this matter seriously,” Miller said in a written statement. “We also cannot allow unidentified seeds to enter Texas.”
If planted, Miller said, invasive plant species could harm the state’s agriculture industry.
In 2020, residents across the country received mystery seeds, usually from China, baffling the public. Some of the packages were labeled as jewelry, toys or earbuds. Many came in white pouches with the words “China Post.”
Officials in all 50 states issued warnings about the packages.
“Pls don’t plant seeds from unknown origins!” the U.S. agriculture department wrote on X at the time.
Federal officials later said the packages were likely part of a “brushing scam” in which sellers send unsolicited items in hopes of increasing sales.
Tests on the plants revealed a mixture of ornamental, fruit and vegetable, herb and weed species. Plants included cabbage, hibiscus, lavender and mint.
If you receive a foreign package containing seeds, do not open it, officials say. Keep the contents sealed in their original packaging and call the Texas Department of Agriculture at 800-835-5832.
