Texas officials are warning residents not to open any seed packages they receive from unknown senders.
For the past year, Texas residents have reported receiving small, unsolicited packets of seeds in their mailboxes. The state guidance on the seeds has been not to open them and to turn them over to the Texas Department of Agriculture.
On Monday, the TDA announced that the unidentified seeds are still arriving without prompting at homes across the state, according to CHRON.
The agency said it's collected 1,101 packets from 109 locations across the state since February 2025. State officials are concerned that the seeds, if opened or planted, could introduce harmful invasive species, agricultural pests, or plant diseases to the region.
"At a glance, this might seem like a small problem, but this is serious business," Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said. "The possible introduction of an invasive species to the state via these seeds poses real risks to Texas families and the agriculture industry. We need everyone to report these packages when they arrive so the contents may be gathered and disposed of properly."
The seeds have been sent not only to Texas, but to New Mexico, Ohio, and Alabama as well.
According to Texas officials, the packages containing the seeds appear to have been shipped from China, though it's unclear if the actual sender is based in China.
The recent rash of unwanted seed deliveries is strikingly similar to another incident in 2020 when unsolicited seeds were sent to a number of U.S. homes.
The strange trend may be evidence of someone operating a brushing scam, in which sellers send cheap items to random addresses in order to allow them to generate fake — but verified — reviews on online retail websites.
Even if the scheme is more about making money than causing chaos, Texas officials have nonetheless warned that the seeds pose a risk and should be handed over to authorities if found.
"Whether it's part of an ongoing scam or something more sinister, we are determined to protect Texans," Miller said. "Unsolicited seeds coming into our country are a risk to American agriculture, our environment, and public safety. Texas isn't going to take chances when it comes to protecting our people and our food supply."
The TDA said it was working with the federal government to gather, analyze, and destroy the seeds.
