Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng)

American ginseng is native to the temperate forest regions of North America, from 70˚ to 90˚ W longitude and 34˚ to 47˚ N latitude, including Quebec and Ontario in the north and Mississippi, Arkansas and Georgia in the south. Wild ginseng is still harvested from areas in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and New York State.

A slow-growing shrub that can reach a height of about 25-50 cm. The seedlings produce a whorl of three leaves, which are compound (divided into leaflets) and palmate (the leaflets originate from a central point). From the third year, the plant produces 3-5 compound leaves. These leaves consist of 3-7 leaflets that are 5-10 cm long, with the basal leaflets being smaller than the upper leaflets. The leaflets are serrate (toothed), wedge-shaped and taper to a point at the apex. They have small, stiff hairs along the marginal veins. The leaves are bright green in summer and become yellow in the autumn. The greenish-white inflorescences consist of a cluster of 4-40 flowers on a single stalk 5-13 cm long. Each flower is 2-3 mm long and has a 5-toothed, green calyx (sepals, collectively) and 5 yellow-green petals. Each flower also contains 5 short stamens (male parts) with oblong anthers (pollen-bearing structures), and a style (female part) divided into two at the tip. The ovary is inferior (occurs below the calyx). The fruits are bright red and each fruit contains 2 or 3 white seeds. The root is pale yellow to brown, spindle-shaped and up to 10 cm long and 2.5 cm in diameter, with transverse striations (fine grooves) and longitudinal wrinkles. Older roots are forked or branched. The upper part of the root can show the scars from rhizomes (underground stems) and the tips of the roots bear root hairs.

American ginseng was widely distributed within North America, but due to the loss of its natural forest habitat and the over-harvesting of the roots, it is now considered to be a threatened species in 16 states and endangered in a further 10 states. Panax quinquefolius is listed on CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) Appendix II, which restricts the trade of whole roots and slices of roots. Traders are required to have CITES certificates before they can take root material from one country to another. Now that American ginseng has become more popular as a herbal tonic, it is being cultivated in other parts of the world, including China.

Kew's Millennium Seed Bank Partnership aims to save plant life world wide, focusing on plants under threat and those of most use in the future. Seeds are dried, packaged and stored at a sub-zero temperature in our seed bank vault.

Description of seeds: Average 1,000 seed weight = 27.754 g.
Number of seed collections stored in the Millennium Seed Bank: None.

Several specimens of American ginseng root are held in the behind-the-scenes Economic Botany Collection at Kew, and made available to researchers by appointment.

The related species Panax pseudoginseng is cultivated in the behind the scenes Tropical Nursery.

Research on American ginseng is being carried out as part of the work undertaken by Kew’s Chinese Medicinal Plants Authentication Centre (CMPAC). Scientists at Kew are often asked to identify which species of ginseng are being traded for use in medicines and cosmetics. To enable them to answer these questions, the centre uses verified specimens from a collection of different species of ginseng, as well as common adulterants. This collection forms part of Kew’s Economic Botany Collection.

Search Kew's databases for more information on this species

Chinese Medicinal Plants Authentication Centre

CITES and Kew