ABSTRACT
Hydrastis canadensis is a perennial herbaceous plant found in rich shady woods and moist meadows in eastern North America, especially in Ohio, northern Kentucky, Indiana, and Virginia, whereas in Canada it is restricted to southwestern Ontario (Sinclair and Catling, 2000). Populations of goldenseal in the wild have nevertheless been greatly diminished in recent years due to overcollection and habitat loss, which has placed this plant on the endangered-species list. Due to concerns about overharvesting and increasing market demand, it is now commercially cultivated across the country, and especially in the Blue Ridge Mountains (Foster, 1991; Snow, 1996).
