CT Residents Asked To Report Receipt Of Any Unsolicited Seeds

CONNECTICUT — The Connecticut Department of Agriculture and The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station have issued a warning about mysterious seeds that may have originated in China.

The agencies have been notified that several Connecticut residents have received unsolicited packages containing the seeds. The types of seeds in the packages are currently unknown and may be an invasive species of plant, according to the state botanists.

The packages were sent by mail and may have Chinese writing on them. Unsolicited packages of seeds have been received by people in several other states across the United States over the last several days, the agencies advised in a news release Wednesday.

"Please do not plant these seeds. CT DoAg and CAES encourage anyone who receives an unsolicited package of seeds from China to immediately contact their state plant regulatory officials," officials said.

Residents should hold on to the seeds and packaging, including the mailing label, and contact Kirby Stafford at 203-974-8485 / kirby.stafford@ct.gov, or Victoria Smith at 203-974-8474 / victoria.smith@ct.gov.

"Invasive species wreak havoc on the environment, displace or destroy native plants and insects and severely damage crops. Taking steps to prevent their introduction is the most effective method of reducing both the risk of invasive species infestations and the cost to control and mitigate those infestations," state officials said.