Ginseng - an Amazing Herbaceous Plant

Native to many regions of northern Asia, Panax ginseng is one of 11 species of slow-growing plants that belong to the Panax genus, a part of the plant family Araliaceae. A herbaceous perennial in the ivy family, ginseng gets its name from the Chinese word "renshen," which means "man root". Ginseng, also known as Asiatic ginseng, Chinese ginseng, Oriental ginseng, Jitsam, Panax and Ninjin, has a distinctively shaped tuberous root that is forked and resembles the torso and legs of a man.

Panax quinquefolium
American ginseng, Panax quinquefolium, has been used for centuries by Native American tribal healers to treat a diverse array of medical symptoms including internal bleeding, ulcers and blood deficiencies. Also known as Huaqishen, its Chinese name, the medicinal root was collected and used in trade. Very old, developed roots were immensely valued. As early as 1860, 120 tons of ginseng were shipped from Minnesota to China. 



Wild American ginseng once grew in abundance in Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee and could also be found in the forested regions of northern Pennsylvania, Vermont and New York. Over harvesting has diminished the wild supply. Several states allow for harvesting wild ginseng with a permit. Ginseng grows wild in U.S. hardiness zones 3 to 7, preferring the filtered shade of hardwood forests. 

American ginseng is currently grown commercially in Wisconsin. The state raises 90 per cent of the ginseng grown commercially in the United States. Several northern states are starting to grow ginseng and 18 states have been licensed to export the plant. 

Farmers in the Appalachians are forming cooperative farming operations to raise ginseng. Ginseng takes 6 to 8 years to reach maturity.

Panax Japonicus
Japanese ginseng (Panax Japonicus) (Res.1) has a long history of use in traditional medicine in Japan. The ground tuberous root is used as a tea to treat stomach complaints including ulcers and stomach bleeding. The extract or a tea made from the root is used for a variety of medicinal applications. Japanese ginseng is also used as an active ingredient in many cosmetic preparations including skin creams and emollients.

Panax Notoginseng
Sanqi ginseng (Panax Notoginseng), also known as San-chi, Tianqi or Tien-ch has played an important role in Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years. (Res. 2) Sanqi ginseng is used to treat any condition of the blood including anemia and both external and internal bleeding. Sanqi ginseng contains 12 saponins (phytochemicals) that help lower blood pressure and improve blood circulation.