ABSTRACT
American ginseng occurs wild in Canada in southern Ontario and southwestern Quebec. American ginseng is sometimes incorporated in such consumer goods as hair tonic, shampoos, and facial creams. The therapeutic value of ginseng has been a subject of continuing controversy, with Western scientists generally rejecting the claims of Asian medicine that ginseng has manifest benefits in the treatment of numerous illnesses. Wildcrafting of ginseng in North America has a limited future. In 1988, American ginseng was officially listed as “threatened” in Canada by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, and since then, exports of wild American ginseng have been discontinued. American ginseng provides an encouraging example of a plant that was seriously reduced in numbers followed by both national protection and expansion of cultivation, thus reducing pressure on natural populations. These natural populations are potentially important sources of genetic variation for the improvement of the crop.
