Wild ginseng is declining, but small-scale ‘diggers’ aren’t the main threat to this native plant − and they can help save it
- Written by Justine Law, Associate Professor of Ecology and Environmental Studies, Sonoma State University
Ginseng plant with berries in fall, Whitesville, W.Va.Lyntha Scott Eller/Library of Congress, CC BY-NDAcross Appalachia, September marks the start of ginseng season, when thousands of people roam the hills searching for hard-to-reach patches of this highly prized plant.
Many people know ginseng as an ingredient in vitamin supplements or herbal tea....