Amazon says it has banned foreign sales of seeds in the US after thousands of Americans received unsolicited packets of seeds in the mail, most from China. The online retail giant told the BBC that it will now only allow the sale of seeds by sellers based in the US. US officials said gardeners should not plant seeds of unknown origin.

The packages are believed to be part of a global “brushing” scam to gain positive reviews for online selling sites. Amazon’s new guidelines, in effect since 3 September, also prohibit the sale of seeds within America by non-US residents. It added that sellers may be banned if they do not follow the new guidelines. But the retailer has not confirmed if its ban will extend to other countries. News of the policy change was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.At least 14 plant species have been identified among the mystery packages, including mint, lavender and roses. (BBC)…[+]