Odd parcels keep arriving from China

CHICAGO • The U.S. Agriculture Department has identified more than a dozen plant species ranging from morning glories to mustard in bags of unsolicited seeds arriving in the mailboxes of thousands of Americans and Canadians, mostly postmarked from China.

While most species identified seem to be innocuous herbs, flowering plants, vegetables or grasses, plant experts warn that seeds from other parts of the world could be non-native varieties that harm commodity crops.

Another concern is what appears to be an unknown coating, possibly insecticide or fungicide on the seeds, said Robin Pruisner, state seed control official at the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship in Iowa, the top U.S. corn growing state.

Pruisner said unknown seed treatments could damage crops.

“I’ve had people describe to me that the seeds are coated with something purple. I haven’t had it in my hands yet, but it sounds an awful lot like a seed treatment,” she said.

Pruisner said she had received 297 reports of seeds received as of Thursday afternoon.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is instructing state agencies to collect the seeds and send them to it for analysis. The agency on Wednesday said it had identified 14 different species of seeds, but noted it was still early in the process.

The Agriculture Department has said the packages are most likely part of a “brushing” scam, in which people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false positive customer reviews to boost sales.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is also investigating the origin of the seeds. China’s foreign ministry spokesman has said the packages appear to have been falsified.

The packages have also been reported in Canada. The Ontario Provincial Police posted a warning on Facebook last week against “foreign seeds in the mail from China or Taiwan.”

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said it had received 1,209 reports about the seeds, with 300 phone calls on Thursday alone.