American Ginseng Harvesting Is It Legal To Harvest Ginseng Roots

It is illegal to harvest American ginseng roots on most State lands and all National Park Service land. Some U.S. Forest Service National Forests issue harvest permits for wild ginseng while other National Forests prohibit the harvest of ginseng.

Why is harvesting ginseng illegal?
How do you harvest ginseng root?
What states can you harvest ginseng?
Can you grow ginseng in your backyard?
How much can you sell a pound of ginseng for?
Why is ginseng so valuable?
What does ginseng look like when it's ready to harvest?
What month do you harvest ginseng?
Can ginseng root run away?
What does ginseng look like in the woods?
How much is a pound of ginseng root?
How much is wild ginseng worth?

Why is harvesting ginseng illegal?

There are no types of ginseng that are “illegal.” The illegality of the practice comes not from the plant itself but from the fact that it is grown in illegal areas. There are also many people that will attempt to grow it and harvest it in ways that the laws in your state do not sanction.

How do you harvest ginseng root?

Harvesting Ginseng

Start by removing soil in a 5-inch radius around the plant.
Pull the entire root and dirt clod from the ground to loosen the dirt around the root.
Carefully, remove loose soil and take care not to break off parts of the root.
Replant the ripened berries where you dug up the root.

What states can you harvest ginseng?

It depends on where you live. There are 19 states that allow harvesting of wild ginseng for export: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Can you grow ginseng in your backyard?

Best of all, there is no huge time commitment necessary to start ginseng farming. ... You can earn some nice extra cash growing ginseng in your backyard nursery. You don't need several acres to do it either. In fact, after six years you can make over $100,000 with just a half-acre of land.

How much can you sell a pound of ginseng for?

Most new growers are attracted by the potential profits, as the prices for mature ginseng roots has been climbing steadily in the last few years. As I write this, prices for quality roots are going for between $300 to $600 per pound.

Why is ginseng so valuable?

There are two reasons its so expensive. Some Chinese people believe ginseng roots are good medicine – even an aphrodisiac. They think roots that lived in a nature for a long time are much more potent than farmed ginseng, which costs a tiny fracture of this amount. It's an investment commodity.

What does ginseng look like when it's ready to harvest?

Each leaf usually has 3 to 5 leaflets (i.e. smaller leaves). If the plant is mature, you will see a cluster of 6 to 20 whitish green flowers. The flowers will eventually produce red berries. Ginseng can be hard to spot.

What month do you harvest ginseng?

In two to four years, the flowers will rise on a long stalk in late spring or early summer, generally in June or July, and mature into bright red ginseng berries. Harvest your ginseng between August and December when the roots have grown to a suitable size and age with three or more root prongs.

Can ginseng root run away?

For example, many experienced pickers tie a red cord around the stem of wild ginseng after finding the herb in forests as, according to a saying,"Ginseng will run away like a man if it is not tied down". ... As a result, ginseng that has grown for more than 100 years is seldom picked in Fusong.

What does ginseng look like in the woods?

Ginseng grows close to the ground and has distinctive leaves that are each made up of five leaflets—two small leaflets closest to the center of the plant flanking three large leaflets. Young plants will usually have three leaves while older plants will have more. ... Ginseng berries are bright red and oblong.

How much is a pound of ginseng root?

The average price paid for the 2019-20 season was $550 per pound for dry and $160 per pound for green. It takes almost 300 roots to make one pound of dry ginseng. “That's a lot of roots,” she said.

How much is wild ginseng worth?

DNR records indicate that over the last 10 years, annual wild ginseng prices have ranged from $250 to $880 per pound, with an average annual price of $483 per pound. The baseline price used for this analysis is $480.