Where to Find a Ginseng Plant

Plant Identification

• Ginseng is a small, green plant that looks like almost any other plant growing in the forest. When they emerge, one-year-old plants look like a strawberry plant, according to Wild Grown, and have only three leaves. However, in its second year, it produces five leaflets and will have small, greenish-white flowers at the base of the leaves. Eventually, it will grow to as tall as 27 inches and will produce shiny, red berries about the size of a black bean.

Location

• Wild ginseng grows in the forests from the northeastern to midwestern parts of the United States and in southern Canada. It has been found from Maine to Minnesota and as far south as Oklahoma. It will not grow in full sunlight, so people cultivating ginseng should plant it in shady or well-forested areas.

Considerations

• When looking for ginseng, bear in mind that some states not only regulate its cultivation, but also its harvest. Because the price paid for ginseng is quite high most years, the amount of people foraging for wild ginseng has also increased. Some states are trying to protect its wild growth by regulating the sale of the root.