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The long maturation time of American ginseng makes it susceptible to overharvesting. A ban on collecting the plant in Nantahala and Pisgah national forests remains in place. Illstration: Ohio State Extension Service
Wild populations of the plant remain too low to sustainably harvest
Adam Rondeau is a public affairs specialist with the U.S. Forest Service.
ASHEVILLE — The Forest Service pause on issuing permits to harvest American ginseng in the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests will remain in place for the 2024 season.
Efforts to restore ginseng populations on both national forests continue. However, wild populations of the plant currently remain too low to sustainably harvest for the foreseeable future. The plant is known as both a folk and medical remedy and preventative for myriad ailments.
“We stopped issuing permits for ginseng harvesting in 2021, when the data began to show a trend toward lower and lower populations each year,” said Gary Kauffman, botanist for the National Forests in North Carolina. “We’re seeing that trend reversing slightly, but ginseng plants take a long time to mature before they reach the peak age to start bearing seeds.”
Native to Western North Carolina forests, wild ginseng is a perennial plant that can live for 60-80 years. It can take up to 10 years before a ginseng plant will start producing the most seeds; however, overharvesting in the past has made older plants increasing rare.
To help revitalize ginseng populations on the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests, the Forest Service has partnered with Mountain Horticulture and Research Center to establish seed production beds and propagate individual plants. Seeds and seedlings have been used to augment existing or establish new populations on both national forests. The North Carolina Natural Heritage Program is helping to monitor the wild populations.
To protect ginseng plant populations, anyone removing wild ginseng plants or its parts on National Forest lands while the pause is in place may be fined up to $5,000, given up to a six-month sentence in federal prison, or both.
“Harvesting ginseng has a long tradition in western North Carolina, so we owe it to future generations to help keep that tradition alive by doing our part to conserve this treasured resource,” Kauffman said.
“Otherwise, it could potentially become the next native species to disappear in these mountains completely.”
