Commentary: Private landowners need to be part of ‘ginseng solution’

Chinese Emperor Shen-Nung changed the course of Chinese and Appalachian history with his claim that ginseng cured erectile dysfunction. Five thousand years of consistent demand in China where wild ginseng can sell for thousands of dollars per pound has led to the root’s extinction in the Asian wild.
The Eastern United States is wild ginseng’s only remaining significant habitat, yet population growth continues to encroach on the root’s preferred forests, leading to a “threatened” designation by the international community. Understanding ginseng history and culture (past and present) and its relationship to private, corporate, and government land holdings is crucial to future preservation as well as current restoration efforts.