Ginseng plant

Ginseng plant: Wild American Ginseng, a genus of Ginseng plant

Ginseng plant

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Ginseng plant picture: A Ginseng plant is of slow growth and takes years to grow. It is impossible to see a full picture of a growing Ginseng plant in any encyclopedias or books. The picture of Ginseng plant is considered to be worth a thousand words.

Wild ginseng plant: Ginseng is a widely used dried herbal root. It is a genus of five to six species of herbal perennial plants that belong to the Araliaceae family. These perennial plants have a very slow growth and can be found in eastern Asia, northern America and several other regions with a cooler climate. Wild ginseng plants are not cultivated domestically. They are harvested from the place of natural growth. These plants come under the endangered category because they are harvested faster than the new plants grow.

Genus of ginseng plant: The genus name of the ginseng plant is “Panax”. This name originates from the Greek word ‘Panakos’ or Panacea. ‘Pan’ meaning all whereas ‘akos’ means cure. The genuine ginseng plant belongs to the genus, Panax, but there are plants from other families that are referred to as ginseng too.

  • Panax ginseng: Korean, Asian and Chinese ginseng plants are also known as Panax ginseng. Panax ginseng has been used in China as a tonic for the last 5000 years. These herbal roots have become very expensive due to the rarity and effectiveness. One piece of the root could be estimated at a thousand dollars. China and Korea are the major cultivators of panax ginseng plants. Red and white ginseng is also produced in Korea and China.
  • Panax quinquefolium: American ginseng comes under Panax quinquefolium. Harvesting for export purpose has resulted in making American ginseng an endangered species. If a state wants to export ginseng there are programs for limiting the harvesting season and recording the sale and purchase of these plants.
  • Other Panax species: There are some other panax species like Panax japonicus or Japanese ginseng, Panax notoginseng or Sanqi or Tienqi ginseng. Some varieties are used for medicinal purpose like the Himalayan ginseng or Panax pseudoginseng. Pearl ginseng is also known as Panax eleganitor and ginger ginseng as Panax zingiberensis.Panax trifolius or groundnut is an American species.
Wild American ginseng plant: The American wild ginseng plant is priced very high in China. This endangered species is grown in the US and Canada. Native Americans have been using these ‘wild roots’ for a long time. For several years the Jesuits shipped American ginseng to China. Due to over harvesting this plant was wiped away from the eastern seaboard. Today the harvesting is strictly regulated.

American ginseng has more cooling properties compared to the other ginseng plants. These plants are used only when the roots are four years old. American ginseng plant is also exported to Asian countries.

Uses of ginseng plant: The root of ginseng plant is used in herbal tea, in bath or the extract is taken as a tonic. Ginseng tonic is used to prevent heart disease. You can make ginseng tea by pouring hot water in a cup of grated ginseng. It can also be added to warm bath water. It is attributed with imparting vitality and energy. It can also be used to cure impotency in men, diabetes, improving memory, normalizing blood pressure and increasing blood circulation.