After the scare with some island residents receiving seeds from China, one resident, Alex McCabe, reached out to The Block Island Times after receiving seeds in the mail from the Washington Trust Company. Being a customer of the bank, McCabe was curious as to why she had received the Money Plant seeds and wondered what she should do with them.
“There was no mention on the mailer whether these are indoor or outdoor plants. Money Tree Plants are an invasive species — they are dangerous to the island’s ecosystem… The island already has a problem with invasive species that is slated to do nothing but get worse. People should at least be informed not to plant these seeds outdoors,” said McCabe.
Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing and Corporate Communications Officer Beth Eckel also spoke with The Times to clear up the confusion on the seeds. McCabe had previously noted that she had spoken with Eckel, and that the company would send out a message stating the purpose of the seeds, and to plant them indoors.
“I did speak with Alex, and in the meantime, I had circled back with my team to make sure of the exact species.