Naming |
| Botanical Name: |
Panax quinquefolius
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| Common Names: |
American ginseng
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| Key Name: |
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| Parts Used: |
root
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| Sister Plants: |
Panax ginseng; Panax japonicus; Panax notoginseng; Panax pseudoginseng; Panax wangianus; Panax zingiberensis; Panax stipuleanatus
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| Comments: |
American ginseng is considered a cooling adaptogen compared to the warming Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng). It is highly valued in TCM and Western herbalism for supporting stress resilience without overstimulation. Overharvesting has made wild populations rare; most commercial supply is cultivated. Important for beekeepers as a minor nectar and pollen source in woodland edges.
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Taxonomy |
| Kingdom |
Viridiplantae |
Phylum |
Streptophyta |
| Class |
Magnoliopsida |
Order |
Apiales |
| Family |
Araliaceae |
Genus |
Panax |
| Species |
|
NCBI Tax ID |
44588
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| Organism |
Panax quinquefolius
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Characteristics |
| Identifying Character: |
Perennial herb 30-60 cm tall arising from a fleshy root; produces a single whorl of Leaves; small greenish-white flowers in a terminal umbel; bright red berries in late summer
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| Stem: |
Smooth; slender; unbranched; green to reddish; arises from a Neck atop the rhizome
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| Leaves: |
Palmately compound with 5 (occasionally 3-7) leaflets; leaflets obovate to oblong; finely serrate margins; prominent veins; whorled at top of stem
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| Flowers: |
Small; greenish-white; borne in a single terminal umbel on a peduncle arising from the leaf whorl; 5 petals; 5 stamens
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| Fruit: |
Bright red; fleshy; berry-like drupe; contains 1-3 seeds; ripens late summer to autumn
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| Taste: |
Sweet; slightly Bitter; cooling
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| Odour: |
Sweet; earthy; Aromatic
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| Root: |
Fleshy; fusiform to spindle-shaped; often branched with prominent transverse wrinkles and rootlet scars giving a humanoid appearance; Aromatic when fresh
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| Image: |
(image unavailable)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Panax_quinquefolius_001.jpg
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Distribution |
| Distribution: |
Eastern North America from Quebec and Ontario south to Georgia and west to Minnesota and Oklahoma; prefers rich; moist; deciduous woodlands with deep leaf litter and shade
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| Cultivation: |
Shade-grown under 70-80% canopy; rich loamy well-drained soil; pH 5.5-6.5; stratified seed sown in fall; slow growing; takes 4-7 years to reach harvestable root size; companion plant with goldenseal or bloodroot in woodland gardens
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| Harvest: |
roots harvested in autumn after 4-7 years when Leaves turn yellow; carefully dug to preserve shape; dried slowly at low temperature; wildcrafted roots must be from sustainable certified sources only
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Medical |
| Therapeutic Action: |
Allopathic: adaptogen; immunomodulator; Herbal: Tonic; Adaptogenic; immune modulator; mild stimulant; TCM: tonifies qi; generates fluids; calms spirit; Ayurvedic: Rasayana; rejuvenative; Naturopathic: adaptogen; Nervine
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| Medical Uses: |
Allopathic: fatigue; stress; Immune support; blood sugar regulation; cognitive function; Herbal: nervous exhaustion; convalescence; low-grade Fever; dry cough; TCM: qi deficiency with heat; yin deficiency; insomnia; Ayurvedic: general Debility; mental fatigue; Naturopathic: adrenal support; chronic fatigue; recovery from illness
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| Constituents: |
ginsenosides">ginsenosides; Polysaccharides; triterpene saponins">triterpene saponins; ginsenoside Rb1">ginsenoside Rb1; ginsenoside Rg1">ginsenoside Rg1; ginsenoside Re">ginsenoside Re; polyacetylenes">polyacetylenes; Flavonoids; Volatile oils; sterols; vitamins; minerals
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| Solvents: |
water; ethanol; hydroalcoholic mixtures
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| Dosage: |
Allopathic: 200-400 mg standardized extract daily; Herbal: 1-2 g dried root Decoction 1-3 times daily; TCM: 3-9 g decocted
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| Administration: |
Decoction; powder; tincture; capsules; standardized extract; traditionally taken as tea or in soup
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| Formulas: |
Sheng Mai San; Ren Shen Yang Rong Tang; American ginseng often substituted for Asian ginseng in cooling formulas; four gentlemen Decoction variants
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| Contra Indications: |
Pregnancy; lactation; acute infections with high fever; Hypertension (in some cases)">hypertension (in some cases); concurrent use with anticoagulants; stimulants; or MAO inhibitors; avoid in children under 12; may cause insomnia if taken late in day
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| Preparation: |
Herbal: Decoction of dried root; tincture in 40-50% alcohol; TCM: decocted in water or added to soups; often combined with licorice or astragalus
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| Chinese: |
Xi Yang Shen (Western ginseng); enters lung; heart; kidney channels; tonifies qi and yin; generates fluids; calms spirit
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| Veterinary: |
Herbal: adaptogen for performance animals under stress; Immune support in elderly or recovering animals; TCM-inspired formulas for qi deficiency in horses and dogs
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| Homeopathic: |
Panax quinquefolius; used for Debility; exhaustion after illness; Digestive weakness; trembling
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Pollination and Pollinators |
| Apis: |
Yes
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| Pollinator: |
Apis mellifera; native bees including bumblebees (Bombus spp.); solitary bees; hoverflies; occasional butterflies
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| Pollen: |
Yes
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| Pollen Notes: |
Pollen is pale yellow to cream; moderate quantity; valuable for brood rearing in forest-edge colonies during early summer when other forage may be limited
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| Nectar: |
Yes
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| Nectar Notes: |
Minor nectar source; flowers visited by honeybees in early to mid-summer; nectar yield moderate in good woodland conditions; supports colony buildup in shaded forest apiaries
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Other |
| Non-Medical Uses: |
Used in cosmetics; as a flavoring; in traditional crafts; spiritual and ceremonial uses by some Indigenous North American nations
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| Culinary Uses: |
Used in soups; teas; ginseng chicken soup; candied; added to energy drinks and confections
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| History: |
Used by Indigenous peoples of eastern North America for centuries before European contact; popularized in China in the 18th century after export by French Jesuits; became a major export crop; led to significant wild population decline by the late 19th century
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| Reference: |
Bensky & Gamble (Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica); Hoffmann (Medical Herbalism); Duke (The Green Pharmacy); Foster & Duke (Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants); Tilgner (Herbal Medicine From the Heart of the Earth); USDA PLANTS database; various apicultural forage studies
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| URL: |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_ginseng
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| Share: |
Public
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