How Do You Hunt For Wild Ginseng?
• Learn the laws regulating ginseng production and harvesting in your area, and obtain any necessary permits or licenses. Because of the extent of damage to natural populations, harvesting wild ginseng is restricted in almost all states and forbidden in some. Research regulations for your area, and contact your local extension service or state agriculture or commerce departments for more details on how to legally and responsibly harvest. • Learn to identify the ginseng plant. Ginseng is a green-leafed perennial plant that changes its appearance distinctly each year of its life. In the first year, it sprouts in the spring and produces a tiny plant with three leaflets on a thin stalk about 2-5 inches high. The stalk drops off as winter approaches, and is replaced in the second year by another which usually grows to 5 or more inches high. Second year plants exhibit one or two distinct leaf prongs, each with 3-5 leaflets or “lobes”. In the third year and thereafter, a prong bearing yellow-
