BOONEVILLE, Ark. (KFSM) — The U.S Department of Agriculture is warning people to watch out for unsolicited packages of seeds shipped from China.
Experts are concerned the seeds could be an invasive species and are warning people not to plant them.
Before word got out, a man in Booneville planted the seeds and they’ve been growing in his garden for two months. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is unsure what kind of plan it is and plans to remove it.
“We brought them down here and planted the seeds just to see what would happen, every two weeks I’d come by and put miracle grow on it and they just started growing like crazy,” said Doyle Crenshaw.
Experts are unsure what this plant really is, but the concern is it turning out to be an invasive species, which could hurt local agriculture.
“Our concern is from an invasive pest aspect, these seeds could introduce an invasive weed, or an invasive insect pest or a plant disease,” Scott Bray with the Arkansas Department of Agriculture told KFSM.
The plant has a large white fruit and orange flowers, much resembling a squash plant.
“The package said it was from China and said “studded earrings” on the outside, and we thought that was a little odd,” Crenshaw said.
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is removing the plant from Crenshaw’s property for further study.
If you receive these seeds, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture says to place them in a sealed package and give them a call to pick them up. More information can be found on their website.