TOPIC: New Ginseng Hunter from Vermont, confused with some questions, hoping some of you can help.

If you happen to find one that is yellow and still has the red berries on, they are especially beautiful.

Example below...

Here is what the root looked like on that 3 prong with the red berries...



Notice it is not even close to what you have, other than your stuff does have a root neck with flats on it and a bud for next year, which is similar to ginseng root neck.

Here is what the root looked like on that (yellow and nearly dead 4 prong) from the previous pic.

It had a good multi forked root on it.



Notice the ginseng roots have a neck area with flats (previous bud scars) and a bud for next years top... then when it goes into the root area, it is fleshy and usually bulby (not woody, long and vine like - like yours).

Also on the ginseng root notice the stress rings on the body of the root. Good quality wild ginseng will have nice stress rings like that.

There is nothing like that on your roots (if those are roots) they look more like vine to me. Hope it is not pison ivy or oak.

Keep looking and good luck !

TNHunter

To the new ginseng hunter from Vermont, that plant you dug up was Wild Sarsaparilla, Aralia nudicaulis. I have dug them before so I know what the roots look like. Do not be discouraged. I commend your enthusiasm.

Ginseng is not easy to find. Many times I have picked an area on a map, gone out, and then searched an entire square mile. You will have to do the same. It is a long slow learning process. I wish you good luck.

Looks to me a lot like wild sarsaparilla...boil it down with sasafrass root and some mint, sugar, and club soda and you have a tasty root beer... I can't confirm those root 100% from but it looks really like sasparilla...tops look similar to sang, tastes kind of spicy/ medicinal easy to tell from sang because the roots of sasparilla are long, thin, and interconeted...i was able to sell it for $20lb dired in small amounts in Chicago to some hipster bars and micro breweries .

Nice Sang TNHunter!