TOPIC: Newb here, promise not to laugh? Then come on in ;)

Hi folks, first post here, and I could use some help. I'm beyond novice (super newb more like it), I'm green and have only learned online. Today pop & I went out in the hunt for ginseng, and I came across a lot of immature plants.

I dug up one 3 prong, and the root was really pathetic to the point I replanted it carefully.

The plant you see here that's pretty large, that looks similar to ginseng ... I dug that one up and got a nice sized root off it, but it sure doesn't look like ginseng, although it does have bulbs/rings to it. But the leaves are not in a \"U\" shape, and are just in a straight row off the leaf stem.

In another series of photos, you'll see this little tree growing horizontally off a steep embankment, off a dead log ... I started to search where normal hunters might avoid, in hopes that I may find a mature one ... this little tree, if it is ginseng (doubt it) would take a bobcat to dig up and is probably a world record. Hey, I can dream can't I *grin*

If you're bored, thumb through my photos and see if I'm on the right track, any advice is much appreciated. I find it odd I can find so many immature plants, with no larger mothers around, my dad thinks there is nobody else in the valley/area ... but I find that hard to believe when all we found were undersized specimens.

Any input is highly appreciated, I live in the focal point of this hobby, and would really like to get this down. Thanks




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HI
I am sorry to say I have looked at all your photos....yes I was bored.
there is no seng in any photo,the weeds look good though.By that I mean that is some of the weeds I see when I am out in the woods.
Some advise would be look for shade.I try to look for dark cool spots in the woods.Search around dead fallen trees, blow downs.I look for woods with big old trees and search around them.I search around any humps or depressions.Take a compass and search any hills facing north or south.It will grow anyplace but it seems to prefer those sides best. What you need is to go out with someone who has hunted seng.This time of year you should be on the look out for yellow plants...It is a gold sort of color.Plants may or may not have red berries.
good luck and stay at it.

I also looked at all of the pics and I also didn't see any ginseng in any of the pics. I think what you are thinking is seng is a young hickory tree the pic you posted on the site and the last 2 pics are young hickory trees. The best way to learn seng is to have someone that knows it take you. Let them dig a bunch and take the top from it and look at the top then look around until you find your first bunch once you have dug your first bunch you will know what it looks like from now on. Good luck and may the seng gods smile upon you. From the pics you are in the right area and there should be ginseng there somewhere.

This is Ginseng Notice the difference in the leaf shape and there will not be any bark on ginseng it will have a smooth stem like a weed. The stem will be white when it goes into the ground and it will have stem coming out of the middle of the leaf pods and may have berries on it.

Look for ferns that is a good companion plant of seng.There are many more but you will know a fern I figure.

Like the others have indicated, no ginseng in the pics. Hickory sprouts, spice bush, five-leaf ivy, and some cool looking fern patches is about it.

If you don't give a second look at the small sprice bushes or saspirilla and hickory sprouts, you arn't looking close enough. You are on the right track there. Take a couple printed out pictures with you to help with your identification. The two most telling charcateristics are that ginseng rises on one stem and all the leaf sets (prongs) come out of that single stem at the same place --they are NOT staggered. The second telling characteristic is the leaf sets themselves. Three larger ones facing out, and two smaller ones facing toward the plant --all coming from the same place on the prong -not staggered.

Also, this isn't going to be the best year to learn how to find ginseng. But don't quit, you look like you are in some decent areas there.

Thanks for the posts.
Thanks for the input BCastle! Good stuff.

I only wish I could find someone to just show me, but I don't know anyone that does this, as well, it's a pretty protected hobby I believe....most won't even talk about doing it. *shrug*