Ginseng in Ohio

Ginseng: Ohio's Green Gold
Article and photos © 2004 ODNR, Division of Wildlife. Used by permission

A new type of forest product is becoming popular in Ohio. Ginseng, known as Ohio's green gold, is an herb cultivated for its aromatic root that is highly prized worldwide. The ginseng plant is native to Ohio's woodlands and grows primarily in the southeastern, Appalachian region of the state. Ohioans hunt for and dig the root, a practice called sanging' by participants, and then sell it mainly to the Chinese market. Dry wild root is worth up to $400 per pound to Asian buyers. About 3,200 pounds of dried ginseng root is harvested from the state each year, making Ohio a top exporter in the United States.

There is a regulated ginseng harvesting season, from September 1st to December 31st, which was established by the ODNR Division of Wildlife in order to protect this high-priced resource. (See overview of ginseng regulations). Because of its value, poachers do target ginseng on public and private land, but law enforcement officials are keeping a watchful eye to prevent illegal harvesting activities.

Ginseng Trade History

Ginseng is one of the world's most well-known herbs and its use in the Far East dates back thousands of years. The word ginseng is derived from the Chinese name for the plant, jen-shen, which means man-essence, describing a resemblance of man in the plant's root. In China, ginseng is used to cure a variety of ailments, including gastro-intestinal disorders, pulmonary problems, and old age, and is thought to heighten vitality and reduce fatigue. Most ginseng is added to teas but the root can also be chewed in small pieces.

American ginseng (pictured above), Panax quinquefolius, was used by the Native Americans to treat coughs and headaches. The first European to identify ginseng, Father Lafitau of France, discovered the herb near Montreal in 1716 and sent it to a colleague in China who recognized it as a close relative to the oriental ginseng plant. The Chinese valued the American ginseng and paid for it in silver and gold. This exchange was the beginning of a lucrative trade in American ginseng.

Life History

American ginseng grows in shady woodlands with rich soils. It is native to Ohio and is found predominately in the Appalachian region of the state. Its range outside of Ohio includes the eastern half of the United States, from Quebec to Minnesota and south to Georgia and Oklahoma. Ginseng is a slow-growing plant whose typical height is 8 to 15 inches. Ginseng leaves resemble many other plants, for example Virginia creeper, making it difficult to identify by passers-by. In its first year, ginseng will have one, small, stemless leaf of three leaflets. By its second year, it grows additional leaflets off of a central stem. Each stem is known as a prong. Every year, it adds more leaves and leaflets. Age of a plant is most easily determined by counting stem scars on the rhizome (underground stem). When the plant is in its 5th to 8th years, it produces berries and has three prongs. These are signs that the root is large enough to be marketable.

The shape of a ginseng root influences its marketability. A root that resembles a person is fairly rare and worth a lot of money. The most marketable of normal roots are old, variously shaped and forked, moderate in size, stubby but tapering, off-white, light in weight but firm when dried, and have numerous, closely formed rings of wrinkles.

Ginseng Law

In order to protect American ginseng from being overharvested, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided that every state, within ginseng's natural range, must create a ginseng management program. In Ohio, that program was created and is carried out by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. Wild and cultivated ginseng in Ohio must be certified by the Division of Wildlife before it can be exported from Ohio. A season on ginseng harvesting, commonly called digging, is established and enforced similar to a game animal hunting season and runs from September 1 to December 31.

Article and photos © 2004 ODNR, Division of Wildlife. Used by permission.

Visit the Ohio Dept of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife

View Ohio Ginseng Regulations