Wild Ginseng
Facts about Wild Ginseng
Wild ginseng grows naturally in areas where there are hardwood forests and temperatures are cool. It doesn’t grow well in warm climates, which means you will not find wild ginseng in the southern parts of the United States. It is not fond of sun and is usually grown in the shade underneath a canopy of hardwood trees. Wild ginseng is considered to be the best ginseng and brings the highest prices. While the U.S. ginseng market is definitely growing, it is China that has the highest demand for wild ginseng.
There are three predominant types of ginseng in the world: Asian, American and Siberian. Siberian ginseng is not really ginseng although it has the same name as the other two. In Asia, especially China, ginseng is imported each year in great quantity. Because most of the hardwood forests in China have been destroyed, it is no longer possible for wild ginseng to grow or for people to plant simulated wild ginseng. The simulated version is where people find sites conducive to the growing of wild ginseng and plant ginseng seeds.
The ginseng roots that fetch the highest prices do not mature for at least six years and receive their best prices when they are seven to ten years old. Because it takes so long for ginseng to grow, the wild ginseng supply dipped so low that it is now considered endangered around the world. In the United States, all ginseng growing and sales are regulated by the state governments and licenses are needed for both sale and export of ginseng.
America has been exporting ginseng to the Chinese ever since the 1700s. In China, ginseng has been used as a cure-all for thousands of years. It is often referred to as the root of life. Ginseng is used as a stimulant, as a stress reducer, to treat a number of mental ailments, and to treat everything from the flu to impotence. It is an ingredient in many anti-aging supplements. Studies in the last decade have found that ginseng can help prevent heart disease, certain cancers, and help as a treatment for diabetes and chronic fatigue syndrome. It is said to increase concentration and energy and athletes often use ginseng to increase performance levels.
One of the most popular ways of ingesting wild ginseng is in tea. Homemade tea can be obtained by boiling the ginseng in water for approximately a half hour. Dried roots can be eaten sliced, but are hard to cut up and chew. Some people place them in the microwave for a minute to soften them. You can get ginseng in powder or in supplements in capsule form.
Because the status of wild ginseng has moved from threatened to endangered in many locations and thus is hard to obtain, the price of ginseng roots has continued to rise. This means that planting simulated wild ginseng can be a viable cash crop. You will have to wait six years for it to grow but the expectation is high that between now and then, prices will continue to rise.