Brooke Beam, Ph.D.
Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator
Ohio State University Extension, Highland County
July 29, 2020
If you have received any unsolicited seed packages in the mail, the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) does not want you to plant them. Unsolicited seeds have been arriving in mailboxes across the country, which at this point, the seeds are currently unknown and may contain invasive plant species. The packages often feature Chinese writing and may have originated from China.
According to the Ohio Department of Agriculture the packages of seeds may contain “invasive species, contain noxious weeds, could introduce diseases to local plants, or could be harmful to livestock. Invasive species and noxious weeds can displace native plants and increase costs of food production. ODA and APHIS work hard to prevent the introduction of invasive species and protect Ohio agriculture. All foreign seeds shipped to the United States should have a phytosanitary certificate which guarantees the seeds meet important requirements”.
If you have received one of these packages, keep the seeds sealed in the package and retain the original packaging. Unsolicited seeds should be reported to the ODA website or the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Anti-smuggling hotline by calling 1-800-877-3836 or by emailing SITV.Mail@aphis.usda.gov.