A spouse in Mississippi took to Reddit to unearth what type of plant grew from the seeds that their husband bought off of Temu.
“Husband bought clover seeds on Temu,” they said in a recent post to the r/PlantIdentification subreddit. “This is what grew. Might have been mixed because some have different leaves.”
Photo Credit: Reddit
While some commenters suggested that it could be a variant of the sida genus, a common invasive weed found in the Southeast U.S., the majority of comments were alarmed at the seed’s source.
“Maybe don’t buy seeds on Temu,” one commenter said.
“Buy seeds locally. Temu, Amazon, Etsy and Ali Express will send you mislabeled invasives,” another asserted.
Platforms like Temu appeal to consumers with their extremely low prices on a vast array of items by connecting Chinese manufacturers directly with consumers. This affordability, however, has a hefty environmental cost, according to Green Match.
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Temu ships globally through air freight, which creates 20 to 30 times the pollution than sea freight. The fast fashion model it emulates contributes to 10% of all carbon emissions caused by the fashion industry, and online retailers like Temu create 4.8 times more packaging waste than comparable offline retailers.
Beyond the environmental impact that Temu generally creates, as the commenter above points out, the quality of products like seeds are questionable from this source. By choosing to use seeds that aren’t bought locally, gardeners pose the risk of introducing invasive plants that can threaten the local ecosystem.
The Redditor’s husband was likely looking to start a clover lawn, which can be a useful way to promote biodiversity on your property. However, the source of clover seeds is a crucial aspect of ensuring you’re supporting the local ecosystem.
While the comments were ripe with criticism, one commenter offered a constructive approach to help the Redditor’s husband begin their native lawn journey the right way.
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“Nuke…whatever you planted with glyphosate. Leave it for the winter. Go to a local garden shop and get native clover seed packets. Topdress your soil with new screened topsoil and sew your actual clover in the late winter,” they outlined.
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