INDIANAPOLIS — Did you receive a package of strange seeds in the mail from China? Here’s what you need to do next, according to the Office of the Indiana State Chemist at Purdue University.
Don’t Open the Seed Packet — And Don’t Plant the Seeds
If you receive a package containing a seed packet, it’s important to keep the packet closed. It’s especially important not to plant the seeds.
Don Robison, seed administrator for the Office of Indiana State Chemist, acknowledges that it’s “tempting” to put the seeds in some soil and see what happens, but that can cause a lot of damage.
“We don’t know what these seeds are, and there is potential for doing serious harm to everything from your backyard garden to the commodity and specialty crops that are such an important part of the agricultural economy. The last thing we want is to spread a weed, invasive species or disease, and that’s a real risk if people plant these or throw them in the garbage,” Robison told Purdue University.
Send the Seeds to the APHIS
Mail the seed packet and any packaging materials to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Indiana office. The APHIS address is included below.
State and federal authorities will work together to identify and dispose of the seeds and all related materials.
If you’ve received a packet of unsolicited seeds, you should:
- Keep the seeds and packaging, including the mailing label.
- Place all contents in a zip-top bag.
- Place the bag in an envelope or box and mail to:
USDA APHIS PPQ
State Plant Health Director
Nick Johnson
3059 N. Morton Street
Franklin, IN 46131
If you can’t mail the items, do not throw them away or burn them! Keep the seeds, packaging and mailing label and contact the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology at 866-663-9684 or DEPP@dnr.IN.gov.
Anyone who has already planted the seeds should not throw out the plants or soil. Contact the Indiana DNR Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology for the next steps.
