American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) is an understory plant found in the eastern deciduous forest of North America. Ginseng roots have long been valued for their medicinal qualities, particularly by Asian cultures, which have integrated American ginseng into their traditional medicinal practices as a complement to their native Asian ...

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) is a perennial plant with a complex life cycle. Years of research paint an intricate picture of ginseng's unique biology, life cycle, reproduction and habitat.

By raising awareness of and emphasizing that ginseng is just one of thousands of special plants impacted by human actions, we provide the scientific basis to motivate land owners, land managers, policy makers, harvesters, and consumers to become better stewards of our precious natural resources.

Wild American ginseng can cross-pollinate with cultivated ginseng that was planted in the wild. The resulting offspring may do poorly compared to truly wild plants due to a genetic makeup maladapted to natural environmental conditions.

Threats to Wild American Ginseng Habitat Loss Be it through agriculture, development, surface mining or a host of other activities, land use conversion removes critical ginseng populations and their habitat, leading to local extirpation.

Below is a list of peer-reviewed scientific studies of the ecology and conservation biology of wild American ginseng. No attempt is made to list studies of medicinal aspects of ginseng use, nor is this list an attempt to assemble all publications on growing ginseng through one of the many methods of cultivation.

Conservation through cultivation is a key strategy for preservation of wild American ginseng. Difficult to grow because of its specialized habitat and slow growth, American ginseng cultivation has been done for hundreds of years in North America, and continues to produce most of the American ginseng exported from this continent.

Because of its significance across the world, American ginseng has played an important part in the history of North America, and will continue to be an important botanical well into the future as modern medical research and climate change become major topics.

Wood thrush, a key disperser of American ginseng seeds, has declined precipitously over the last 50 years. Both climate change and forest habitat alterations are influencing the distribution and survival of key animal species that disperse American ginseng seeds.

Each year, the 19 states and one tribe that regulate the harvest of wild ginseng, report the previous year’s total harvest by county. The USFWS then uses these data, plus findings of scientific research, and other biological and trade information, to determine whether the export will be detrimental on a state-to-state basis.