State agriculture officials are instructing Massachusetts residents not to plant any unsolicited seeds they receive in the mail from foreign countries.
Several state residents have reported receiving “unsolicited packages that appear to have originated in a foreign country and contain seeds,” the Department of Agriculture said Tuesday, cautioning that the seeds are believed to be invasive species.
The exact type of seed is unknown, but it’s not believed to be harmful to humans or pets though it could “pose a significant risk to agriculture or the environment,” the department said. Anyone who receives or has received an unsolicited package of seeds should not plant them and should complete an online form to help provide state plant regulators with information, according to the department.