Panax quinquefolius

Common Names

American Ginseng, Ginseng, Sang

Summary

American ginseng is a herbaceous perennial native to eastern North America, thriving as a shade-tolerant understory plant in rich forests. It features a palmately compound leaf arrangement with typically three leaves at the summit, later producing 3–5 compound leaves with 3–7 leaflets, and an aromatic, often forked root; in summer it bears greenish-white flowers and, in autumn, bright red berries.

Its cultivation favors full shade in rich, moist, well-drained forest soil with slightly acidic to neutral pH (roughly 5.0–6.0) and high calcium; plants are propagated by seed (stratified 18–22 months) or root cuttings and spaced about 20 cm apart; hardy in USDA zones 3–7. Harvest occurs in autumn after berry ripening; wild populations are depleted, and much of the crop is cultivated to reduce pressure on native stands, with trade controls under CITES Appendix II. Leaves and roots are used to make tea and as an adaptogen and tonic, with ginsenosides in the roots.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

6-18 inches

Spread

9-12 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 3-7

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally partial shade.

Soil Type

Moist, humus-rich, well-drained loamy soil with high organic matter, pH 5.0–6.5

Soil Drainage

Well-drained, moist, loamy soil with no standing water.

Soil pH

5.0-6.5, slightly acidic to neutral

Bloom Color

Greenish-white

Bloom Time

Summer

Foliage Color

Green to bright green in summer, yellow in autumn and winter

Fall Foliage Color

Yellow

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Slow

Seasons of Interest

Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division, Root cuttings

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, syrphid flies, songbirds