Description and Habitat

American ginseng is an imperilled plant throughout much of its range, the harvesting of which is regulated to protect the plant from over-harvest, which has occurred throughout the last few centuries ever since settlers learned of its incredible value from Native peoples. One outstanding record of such learning is the writing of Joseph-François Lafitau, who was a French Jesuit who moved to the Mohawk village of Kahnawà:ke / Sault St. Louis in 1711, and learned and wrote extensively about Mohawk and Haudenosaunee culture, including learning of American ginseng from Mohawk women.

Conservation Status

S2 (Imperilled) in Ontario, Québec, and S4 (Apparently Secure) in New York.