American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is a native herbaceous plant of the eastern United States, historically valued for its fleshy, forked root. It has been a globally traded commodity since the 1700s, leading to significant pressure on wild populations. Due to its popularity in traditional medicine, the plant has become increasingly rare in its natural North American habitat. Understanding where ginseng grows requires distinguishing between its native forest range and areas dedicated to commercial cultivation.
The Native Habitat of Wild American Ginseng
Wild American ginseng is historically native to the moist, mature deciduous forests extending from the Midwest to Maine, with its densest population found in the Appalachian and Ozark mountain ranges. The plant is a strict shade-lover, thriving in environments where light saturation is low, often below 10% of full sunlight. This habitat preference means it is typically found growing beneath the canopy of hardwood trees like sugar maple, oak, hickory, and poplar.
It requires rich, well-draining soil, often a sandy loam with a slightly acidic pH range between 5.0 and 6.5. The states most identified with the wild harvest are concentrated in the Southern Appalachian region, including Kentucky, West Virginia, and Tennessee. Other states within the native range where wild populations are found include North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York.
The plant is slow-growing and sensitive to habitat fragmentation. While considered globally vulnerable, it is classified as imperiled or critically imperiled in many native states. This rarity, driven by centuries of harvest and habitat loss, makes finding mature wild specimens increasingly difficult.
Commercial Production and Cultivation Areas
Most of the product sold today is cultivated using various farming methods. The most significant area for cultivated ginseng production is Wisconsin, which contributes approximately 95% of the United States supply. Much of this production is concentrated in Marathon County, where the climate allows for a unique root quality.
Field-Grown Cultivation
Cultivation methods range in intensity and result in roots with different values and appearances. The least valuable is “field-grown” ginseng, which is cultivated in high-density garden beds under artificial shade cloth, yielding a crop in three to four years.
Woods-Grown Cultivation
“Woods-grown” or “wild-simulated” methods are more common in the native Appalachian states and involve planting seeds under the natural forest canopy. States like Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia participate in this type of cultivation. This allows the root to grow more slowly, sometimes taking six to eight years, resulting in a product that more closely resembles the wild root.
State-Specific Harvesting Restrictions
The international trade of American ginseng is regulated because the species is listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This listing requires that all exports be certified as legally and sustainably harvested. Nineteen states and one tribal nation are authorized to issue the certification necessary for exporting wild ginseng.
These states, which include Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Ohio, and Minnesota, enforce strict harvesting regulations. A specific harvest season is required, which begins in September in all 19 states. This timing is deliberate, ensuring that the plant’s fruit, the bright red berry, is ripe and the seeds are mature.
Harvesters must comply with rules regarding plant maturity, typically mandating that only plants at least five years old may be collected. A plant’s age is often determined by counting the stem scars on its root neck. All seeds from a harvested plant must be immediately replanted close to the original site. Many states also require diggers and dealers to obtain specific licenses and prohibit harvesting on most state or federal lands.