Botanicals

Botanical forest products are a recognized economic resource. In this section, read in detail about botanicals and discover valuable tips. Penn State Extension educational resources on cultivating and harvesting ginseng, forest moss, and goldenseal are available, as well.

Non-Wood Forest Products: Ginseng, Goldenseal, and More

Forests can be an excellent location for cultivating various non-timber products, including forest moss and high-value woodland crops such as ginseng and goldenseal. These forest botanicals are typically grown for medicinal, culinary, and ornamental uses and can provide supplementary income while trees are being grown for wood products.

Ginseng and goldenseal are some of the most valuable forest crops, where a patch with 50 plants may yield up to $300 at harvest. It’s sensible to note that in ginseng production, sale prices can be affected not just by plant quantity, but also visual and perceived chemical quality. Goldenseal, on the other hand, is in great demand and is primarily traded by weight.

Whether as business or hobby, sound ginseng husbandry has plenty of benefits to offer. These include increased forest productivity without damaging the aesthetics, integrity, or function of the forest. Ginseng husbandry may require little investment and help restore or conserve native plant species threatened by pressures such as overcollection.

Growing and Harvesting Ginseng

With its rich forestland and favorable climate conditions, Pennsylvania offers landowners an ideal setting for producing some of the finest ginseng roots. More common types of ginseng include American ginseng, Asian ginseng, and red ginseng. Because of their rarity, cultivating ginseng species will generally require cultivation certification.

Overall, there are four markets available for cultivated ginseng – truly wild, wood cultivated, wild-simulated, and field-grown. Wild-simulated ginseng refers to planting seeds in sites similar to those where wild ginseng normally occurs. As the produced roots are almost indistinguishable from those of wild ginseng, this method presents the greatest likelihood of profit for woodland owners. When using the wild-simulated method, keep in mind that the period between planting and harvest should be at least eight years. As roots grow in size every year, older roots are generally more valuable.

Ginseng harvesting should be done carefully, using a garden fork or your fingers. After harvesting, the ginseng roots should be washed gently – without using scrub brushes – and placed on screens to dry. Outdated techniques to avoid include heat drying, peeling, and storing ginseng roots in plastic.

Before harvesting ginseng, it might be sensible to reach out to a broker or buyer and discuss market specifications. It is further advised to contact the local Department of Conservation of Natural Resources (DCNR) for current information on regulatory changes and their application to cultivated crops. Note that a license may be required for bypassing the broker or selling out of state. On this page, access Penn State Extension’s resources on cultivating, harvesting, and marketing ginseng and other botanical products.