It’s no secret that 2020 was a year full of bizarre events, and one peculiar incident involved people mysteriously receiving seeds in the mail.
These unsolicited packages, which originated from China, sparked widespread curiosity and concern.
Despite official warnings not to plant the seeds, Doyle Crenshawn from Arkansas couldn’t resist his curiosity.
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Numerous people across the U.S. reported receiving these enigmatic seed packets, with no clear explanation as to why they were sent or who specifically posted them.
Before the advisory against planting the seeds was issued, Doyle decided to sow them in his garden. Authorities cautioned that the seeds might contain invasive species that could potentially harm local ecosystems.
Yet, Doyle went ahead and tended to his garden, applying Miracle-Gro every two weeks. To his amazement, the seeds sprouted and flourished, producing white and orange flowers, which some compared to squash plants.
Reflecting on the unusual delivery, Doyle noted, “The package said it was from China and labeled as ‘studded earrings.’ We thought that was a little odd.” Many of these random packages from China were similarly mislabeled, often indicating they contained jewelry.
Doyle’s gardening experiment, however, was short-lived. On August 21, 2020, Mark Stoll from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture (ADA) informed KATV that Doyle’s plants had been confiscated and destroyed.
Scott Bray of the ADA explained the rationale behind the caution, emphasizing concerns about invasive pests. “Our concern is from an invasive-pest aspect; these seeds could introduce an invasive weed or an invasive insect pest or a plant disease,” Bray stated.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture speculated that the seeds might have been part of a “brushing scam.” In such scams, sellers send inexpensive items to unwitting recipients and then post fake reviews to boost product ratings. This theory offered a potential explanation for the mysterious seed deliveries.
Authorities, including the Whitehouse Police Department, advised the public to contact them for proper disposal of the seeds. A post on their Facebook page warned, “Although not directly dangerous, we would still prefer that people contact us to properly dispose of the seeds.”
In the end, the strange seed saga of 2020 serves as a reminder of how even the most seemingly innocuous items can pose unexpected risks, and the importance of heeding official advice when dealing with unknown substances.
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