Mystery seeds from China, elsewhere in Asia elicit warning to county residents

Ventura County residents who have received unsolicited and falsely labeled shipments of seeds from China, Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan are being asked to turn them over to county agricultural officials.

Agricultural Commissioner Ed Williams said about 60 residents have reported receiving the packets of seeds that are falsely designated on shipping labels as jewelry, handmade flowers and wire connectors. 

Agricultural officials are concerned that the seeds may be carrying viruses or are invasive species that could destroy native vegetation, he said Tuesday.

"Nobody has inspected or certified or tested any of these seeds," Williams said.

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The shipments of the mysterious seeds are a nationwide phenomenon, but Williams said he first became aware of the packages coming into Ventura County a couple weeks ago. They have arrived in Ojai, Ventura, Camarillo, Newbury Park and Thousand Oaks, he said.

In a news release issued this week, county officials said the packets have been wrongly labeled so they can pass through the U.S. Customs agency undetected. It is illegal to ship seeds into the country unless they meet U.S. import requirements, which include proper labels with the name of the shipper and the type of seed, officials said.

Williams is asking residents who receive the seeds to save them and contact his office. Individuals who have already planted the seeds are also asked to notify his office so the agency can remove them. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is testing the seeds by growing them in laboratories, Williams said. The federal regulators are trying to determine whether the seed packets contain anything that could be of concern to the agricultural industry or the environment, the USDA said in a statement. 

The USDA has identified 14 kinds of seeds in the mysterious packages that appear to have been sent unsolicited from China to people around the country, USA Today reported late last week. 

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Quoting an official from the USDA's plant protection program, the newspaper said all 50 states have issued warnings about the packages. They have been found to contain flowering plants such as morning glory, hibiscus and roses, plus vegetables and herbs including mint, sage, rosemary and lavender. 

Officials at the USDA tied the shipments to a marketing scheme.

 "At this time, we don’t have any evidence indicating this is something other than a 'brushing scam' where people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales," the USDA said.

Ventura County residents who have received the packets are asked to save them and contact the Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office at 805-388-4222 in Camarillo or 805-933-2926 in Santa Paula.

Residents are being warned not to dispose of the seeds in the trash because of the risk that the seeds will sprout in landfills. Staff with the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office will arrange for the seeds to be picked up or will provide drop-off instructions, officials said. 

Kathleen Wilson covers the Ventura County government, including the county health system, politics and social services. Reach her at kathleen.wilson@vcstar.com or 805-437-0271.