Agriculture officials in multiple states have issued warnings about unsolicited shipments of seeds and advised people not to plant them.
In Kansas, the agriculture department says residents have received unsolicited packages containing seeds that appear to have originated from China.
The packages were sent by mail; some have been labeled as jewelry and they may have Chinese writing on them.
Unsolicited seeds could be invasive species, could introduce diseases to local plants, or could be harmful to livestock. Invasive species wreak havoc on the environment, displace or destroy native plants and insects and severely damage crops.
The types of seeds in the packages are unknown at this time.