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Most high quality, older aged wild ginseng roots are thin and lighter in weight
Thus, if one wild ginseng plant is found, then more plants should be expected nearby
Usually, the fresh wild ginseng root weighs 1-10 grams and the dried wild ginseng root weighs 0.3-3 grams only. The Woods-grown one is typically double in size and weight than the wild ginseng. Woods-grown ginseng tends to have thicker necks, no clear markings on the main root, and more lateral roots (tails). In some parts of Asia, people mistakenly believed that high-quality wild ginseng roots have to be large in size and heavy in weight. The following are photos that may help the readers to tell the differences between wild ginseng and woods-grown ginseng.
From the end of September to mid-October, the wild ginseng stems and leaves start to turn yellow and wither, and new overwintering buds grow
American wild ginseng naturally grows within 32-47.5 degrees north latitude and 74-97 degrees west longitude, in the east part of central and north US forest. It grows well at altitudes of 200-1200 meters, with 5-45 degrees slope and 5-8% sunshine, and fertile humus layer of about 8-10 inches. The loose soil of the forest is usually black and granular, where the wild ginseng grows in groups. However, one must be aware that there could be many ‘false wild ginseng' plants surrounding the wild ginseng; therefore it could be very difficult for an inexperienced person to identify the true wild ginseng plant.
The buds of the ginseng plant will first emerge in mid-April. Unfortunately, about 5-10% of these buds will be damaged by birds, rabbits, deer, and other animals. These damaged buds will not be able to grow stems and leaves that year. Those scars left by the broken buds and leaves indicate the age of ginseng. In mid-May, the baby plants will grow to about 5 inches high.
