Seeds of Unknown Provenance

“Do not plant seeds from unknown origins."

"Unauthorized seeds could be the seeds of invasive plants, or carry plant pests, which can be harmful when introduced into Canada."

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

"If you receive an unsolicited shipment of foreign seeds in the mail from China or Taiwan DO NOT plant or dispose of them."

"Call the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) at 519 691-1306 or 1 800 442-2342."

"Unsolicited seeds could be invasive & threaten our environment."

Ontario Provincial Police

Packages of unidentified seeds which appear to have been mailed to Canada Photograph:( Twitter)

"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."

"The a-ha moment I really had here is how much seed people are buying from other countries. I have been simply amazed, when I talk to people, how they say the other seed they’ve bought from China is fine."

Robin Pruisner, state seed control official, Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa

The U.S.Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has instructed state agencies to collect seeds in their possession -- that individuals have sent to them after having received them unsolicited in the mail, their origin postmarked China -- and to send them on to it for analysis. To date, the agency has identified 14 various seed species. The seeds run the gamut from herbs to vegetables, grasses to flowering plants.

Experts have issued warning that seeds originating from areas of the world other than North America have the potential to harm commodity crops. This, resulting from households in the United States and Canada receiving envelopes from China addressed to their home addresses, and sometimes marked as containing "jewellery", for customs purposes, while containing mysterious seeds.

Iowa, the foremost American corn growing state's seed control official has received 297 reports from state residents of having received such seed envelopes. Nothing within the strange envelopes identifies the seeds, nor do the envelopes contain instructions or explanations.

The origin of the seeds is being investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, even while China's foreign ministry spokesman has stated that the packages appear to have been falsified, however that can be construed. In Canada, the Ontario Provincial Police issued a Facebook warning against "foreign seeds in the mail from China or Taiwan".

Elsewhere, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services stated 1,208 reports about the seeds had come in to their attention. On one day alone they had received 300 telephone calls from the public wanting to know how they should proceed after having received such packets. State agriculture departments have also reported packages postmarked from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

The U.S. Agriculture Department conjectured the packages are possibly part of a "brushing" scam where people are sent items gratis from a seller, which then goes on to post false positive customer reviews to aid further sales.