Ginseng: Wild or Cultivated?

Written By Scott Harris
September 1999

This article originally appeared in the Fall 2000 Empire State Ginseng Growers Newsletter as well as the United Plant Savers Fall 2000 Newsletter

No one will argue the fact that American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) has been over-harvested from our woodlands. Wild or supposed wild ginseng roots have always commanded a much higher market price than the cultivated version. The reason I describe the wild ginseng as "supposed" is for a number of reasons that I will attempt to explain in further detail throughout this article. As it stands now, I truly doubt if there are many, if any at all, true wild ginseng patches left in America.

As recently as a century ago, in the year 1900, properly dried wild ginseng roots were selling at an average price of $5.20 per pound! The digging of wild ginseng roots offered untold opportunities for many struggling families. The money earned from digging the roots allowed these families to buy shoes, food and warm clothing in preparation for the upcoming harsh northeastern winters. Entire communities would set forth through the woods, walking shoulder to shoulder in a vigilant search for this valuable plant. Excursions such as these would often last days on end, stopping only to set up a crude camp for the night and continue the hunt the following morning. Ginseng was reported to be scarce by harvesters as early as the 1800's. Wild-crafters, trappers and explorers in search of ginseng had combed every inch of the eastern states in search of the wild plant.

My thoughts keep taking me back to the question that if after nearly 300 years of "over-harvesting", how is that there is even a single wild plant remaining? The only conceivable answer to this lingering question would be that the early procurers of the root engaged in the practice of replanting seeds back into the wild. Whether these seeds were collected from wild plants or purchased from a grower of cultivated ginseng does not matter, as the plants are all now considered to be wild ginseng. Keep in mind that ginseng seeds and roots have been bought, sold, traded and exchanged throughout a network of ginseng growers, trappers, farmers and woodsmen for nearly 150 years.

While the demand for the root increased, supplies rapidly dwindled and cultivation efforts began throughout the eastern states. Early attempts to tame the wild ginseng were repeatedly met with failure. It appeared that ginseng could not be cultivated. That is, until George Stanton, a retired tinsmith from central New York State developed a successful cultivation program that was soon adopted by other growers. This launched the greatest ginseng re-planting program in history. Mr. Stanton was considered, from that point on as the "Father of the Cultivated Ginseng Industry". He called his enterprise the George Stanton Chinese Ginseng Farm, which consisted of one small experimental bed. From this small garden, Mr. Stanton made many discoveries about disease control, soil properties, spacing of plants and the proper shade requirements for successful ginseng cultivation. Other growers in New York adopted his methods and soon these pioneers of ginseng cultivation began to supply seeds and roots to growers in other states. He also founded and was elected to serve as the first president of the New York Ginseng Association. The NYGA was one of the first agricultural associations to be formed in New York State. Mr. Stanton passed away on January 31, 1908 and was buried in his family plot at Tully, NY.

As far back as the mid to late 1800's, ginseng seeds, and young rootlets from NY, OH, KY, IL, IN, PA, NC, OH, TN as well as many other "ginseng producing" states were being offered for sale through hunting, trapping and outdoor magazines. Mass plantings occurred in every region that would support ginseng. A great majority of these seeds and roots were planted back into the wild setting, often in sites that previously supported "wild" populations. The chances are extremely high that the so-called wild ginseng harvested today isn't really wild at all and should, by definition, be re-classified as "wild-simulated" or "cultivated" ginseng.

I recently received a letter from a potential grower asking about the significance of "genetically cross-bred" ginseng seeds. Let me assure you that every seed available on the market today has been repeatedly "cross-bred" many times over!! I am aware of one ginseng seed salesman that mixes seeds purchased from different growers and then proceeds to misrepresent them as "genetically cross-bred". It is unfortunate that deceptions of this sort exist in the ginseng trade. I must point out that isolated colonies of wild ginseng do not have the "benefit" of cross-breeding, yet they rarely show signs of disease, can attain ages of 100 years old and consistently produce healthy seed crops without the intervention of man. I am of the opinion that a near total extirpation of the wild ginseng will be due to regulations based on emotion rather than fact. We cannot allow reckless regulations to be responsible for sending this plant into extinction.

I assure you that by encouraging your legislators to totally ban the harvesting of "wild" ginseng you will be initiating the greatest extirpation of this plant from our woodlands that we have seen to date. Wholesale prices will soar to heights well above $1000 per pound as the Asian buyers race to purchase every available root, perceiving this as the "last chance" to buy the cherished American ginseng root. Patches that have been tended for generations will be dug completely clean, dried and sold to the highest bidder. Millions upon millions of ginseng plants will disappear within a few weeks. A painless birth of an underground black market will be immediate. These newly born criminals will take full advantage of our current and more relaxed trade agreements. The flow of the most valuable wild ginseng roots will continue uninterrupted directly to Asian dealers. Ponder this fact for a moment if you have any doubts. If tons of Heroin, Cocaine and other illicit drugs can easily enter our country under the diligent watch of our Drug Enforcement Agency, then certainly ginseng roots can and will be smuggled out.

The question remains of when is a so-called wild ginseng really wild ginseng? Last September I happened upon what would be considered by some as the largest patch of "wild ginseng" left in America today. Encompassed within an area of approximately 6 acres I found literally thousands of random ginseng plants. Upon further inspection of the roots for the purpose of estimating age, I discovered that the average age of the larger mature plants ranged in age from 18-25 years old. Also present in this colony were generations of offspring from the mature plants. How would you define this ginseng? Would it be "wild ginseng" because it was found in the wild or "cultivated ginseng" because someone had intentionally planted it? I can only speculate that someone planted ginseng seeds in this area from 1975 through 1981 and for some unexplained reason, abandoned the project. In the last two years we have planted an additional 60,000 seeds into this area, taken soil samples and will continue to monitor the progress of both current and past plantings.

As a registered New York Ginseng Dealer and a member of United Plant Savers, I am often called upon to take "sides", which I refuse to do. I assure you both that our long-term goals run a parallel course. Let me say that if it were not for our forefathers replanting and cultivating ginseng, not a single one of us would have ever had the opportunity to even see a single plant in the wild. Legitimate ginseng dealers donate seed to wildcrafters each year to plant back into the woods. The ginseng dealers should no longer be viewed as villains, nor should the responsible wildcrafter who plants the seeds back as they have for many generations.

Our company, Sylvan Botanicals, is responsible for the planting of over 9 Million ginseng seeds to date, as well as tens of thousands of roots back into the wild. We encourage all ginseng dealers to adopt the policy of sponsoring "give-away" programs such as that offered by United Plant Savers. Together we can save this magnificent plant, but only through common sense legislation combined with education programs aimed at those who have been delegated the authority to protect and execute such laws and regulations.

I believe the only answer to this dilemma is to enact a "Wildcrafter Education Program", which would require harvesters to be licensed and also attend an educational workshop. I know this would be difficult and I am aware that this proposal will not be well accepted by the self-reliant and independent ginseng diggers. However, given the alternative of a total ban on the harvesting of "wild" roots, the diggers must realize that it will be in their best interests to comply. I am personally one that is reluctant to encourage more laws and restrictions imposed on a free people, but in this case I feel it is the only avenue we can follow in order to achieve a balanced program of harvest in conjunction with preservation.

Ginseng is a viable medicinal plant with many health benefits. What good is such a beneficial plant if it is banned from harvesting and thus made unavailable to those that seek the benefits of it's healing properties?

In closing, I strongly recommend that all Wildlife Preservation Organizations, Associations and concerned individuals call upon the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to initiate a ginseng planting program. The USFS & USFWS have at their disposal an army of thousands, so why not utilize this force to meet our common goal? Imagine how many ginseng plants could be re-introduced into our woodlands if every person assigned to outdoor duties planted a single ounce of seeds. By doing so, each employee that participated could be responsible for introducing between 400-450 ginseng plants into the wild. Alas, the problem would be solved!

*Scott Harris is the President of the ESGGA, a member and contributor to UpS and President of Sylvan Botanicals, seed/root supplier, organic ginseng grower, ginseng historian and participant in ginseng research programs currently being conducted through Cornell University.

Sylvan Botanicals Catskill Mountain Ginseng

P.O. Box 91

Cooperstown, NY ~13326~

http://www.catskillginseng.com