TOPIC: ginseng plant comparison

Hi all
Please can anyone let me know where there might be good quality pictures of panax ginseng and american ginseng plants and or seeds .
I am looking to compare the various sizes of seeds of panax and american and leaf shapes and plant sizes .I know that some american ginseng plants have almost round leaves .
Most important is pictures and comparison of panax ginseng and american ginseng plants
Does any one know if there has been any comparitive work done on that sort of thing or there are any digger who have views on it
All the best
Mel

Mel,

If you will search this forum, there are thousands of pictures of wild american ginseng.

If you do a search on youtube on ginseng or ginseng hunting - you will find lots of video of ginseng.

On the question of rounder leaves... I have noticed that ginseng plants that are growing in deeper shade (old growth timber on north facing hillsides) tends to have thinner, more pointy leaves. See example below...

TNhunter

Where ginseng that is getting more sun (especially the sun ginseng likes, morning sun) tends to have broader more rounded leaves.

See example below.

These two ginseng plants were harvested on the same hunt less than 1/4 mile apart. The one with thinner pointed leaves was in deep shade on a north facing hillside. The one with big broad rounded leaves was on a east facing limestone bluff where it got lots of near direct sunlight in the morning hours, but none in the evening.

There was also a difference in soil... where the one on the north facing hillside was in more your average woods clay based soil... and the one on the east facing bluff was in rock chip filled mineral rich soil.

I would say that the shape of the ginseng plant leaves will vary depending on light exposure, and soil type (basically the overall well being of the plant itself).

TNhunter

That's cool TN, thanks for showing those 2. I've seen similar plants to both, but never that close together.

Hi
Thanks very much for those picture and your explanation for the reasons they grow like that ,I appreciate it .
I have had a fairly good look around on utube and on the forum and there are thousands of pictures of american ginseng plants but yours are the best I have seen so far .
The pictures of panax ginseng are difficult .If I can get some pictures like yours of panax ginseng that would be great .I get the impresion that there is similar variation in the wild plant .But the panax that is grown comercially is a standardised plant slightly bigger than the american .
I will continue looking and let you know if I find anything
Regards
Mel

Real nice pics, TNHunter!

Notice that wet spot on that big broad leafed 3 pronger (upper left leaf set)..

It was hot that day (Sept 3 - my birthday) and that is where a big drop of sweat fell off my nose and landed on that leaf

I dug several nice big stout 3 and 4 prongs on that bluff with big fat bulby roots.

TNhunter

Hi
Its hard work digging ginseng it makes me sweat thinking about it.

I have found an interesting video on utube of wild ginseng from Korea its about 3 minutes long .I would be very interested in your comments about the plants and how they compare to American plants.
I have a less expert eye than many and would value the input.
Would it be ok to show the link to the utube video so you can have a look?
Regards
Mel

melsplant,
I do not believe the admin has any problem of posting Youtube video links associated with ginseng.
Latt

Hi All
Here is the link to the panax ginseng video its very short 3 mins
Please let me know what you think to the plants and how they compare to American plants
I would be very interested in your thoughts
Many thanks
Mel
www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_det...;v=6lGZMNWXKu4#t=134