TOPIC: Ain't she purty?

I just scouted some areas that I'd scouted about 2 weeks ago. Nearly all of the ginseng I found was either gone or just barely hanging on. I know our area (East TN) hasn't had the severe drought as most of the country, but it's looking like finding even a single pound of root (once dried) may be extremely difficult. Quite disappointing.

Almost all of my seed producing plants are gone. Last year, I planted about 30 mature roots to get me started with seed production. I've only gotten a total of 7 red berries this year, and I've only got 7 green berries left. The rest of the plants are yellow and brown. I know I should have watered them, and now I could kick myself.

While scouting, I saw a group of wild ginseng with 1 gorgeous wild plant with a green golf ball perched higher than the leaves. I can't wait to pull those seeds off and plant them around the area that the momma plant is growing. In 8 or 10 years, I'll know right where they are. That soil might be better than where I live, so I'm going to move some of that soil along with the root to my place to get it started. It's funny that we can take a root from a friend's woods and plant it in our own woods, but we can't move some of the seeds.

Anyway, here she is.

Yup!

Shawnlam,
Nice plant! I'm looking at the green berries and I'm wondering what part of East Tn. your located in. I was on the N.C. border this morning taking pictures and this is what mature plants looked like there. Three leafers were turning yellow and going down.

Hugh

She sure is pretty

Shawnlamm, that's a beauty. Gotta love them big old plants with extra leaves on each prong.


Hugh, that pic you posted has a better pod of berries than any wild plant I've seen around here while scouting. A lot of plants have nothing on them, and a graphic 3 or 4 prong might have 4 or 5 berries on it. Worst crop of berries I've seen in years.

Shawnlamm, that's a beauty. Gotta love them big old plants with extra leaves on each prong.


Hugh, that pic you posted has a better pod of berries than any wild plant I've seen around here while scouting. A lot of plants have nothing on them, and a graphic 3 or 4 prong might have 4 or 5 berries on it. Worst crop of berries I've seen in years.

5prong...

I am seeing the same thing here in southern middle TN as you.

I got a few red berries off my seed bed today, but have a few more that are still green.
Most of the ones that did produce berries, had a nice flower spike, but only 1/3 or so of the blooms actually set fruit.

And I would say 75% of them aborted berry production all together.

I am thankful for what I am getting though and taking good care of them and planting them in select spots... and hoping for better luck next year.

TNhunter

Hugh - If I remember correctly, you are in (or near) Morristown. We're neighbors. =) I'm right above you in Grainger County. BTW, I absolutely LOVE the beautiful red of the berries on that plant. I remember seeing the photo that you posted a couple of weeks ago of that EXACT same plant with green berries.

5prong - I am ashamed to admit that the berries had me so excited that I didn't even notice the extra leaves. I had to go back and check, and two of the stems have 8 leaves on each one. If I had noticed it, I'm sure I would have included it in my original post. Thanks for pointing that out to me.