Latest Overview of the Production Area Distribution of American Ginseng

American ginseng is a perennial herb of the genus Panax in the family Araliaceae, also known as flower flag ginseng, foreign ginseng, Western ginseng, etc. It originated in Greater Quebec in Canada and Wisconsin in the United States, and is also cultivated in places such as Huairou in Beijing and Changbai Mountain in China. The kind produced in Canada is called American ginseng, while the kind produced in the United States is called flower flag ginseng. Let us take a look together below!

Production Area Distribution of American Ginseng

American ginseng originates from the forest areas of northern Wisconsin in the United States, and is distributed in China and southern Canada. It grows in mountainous areas at an altitude of about 1000 m, prefers scattered light and diffused light, and is adapted to growing in forest sandy loam.

Differences Between Imported American Ginseng and Domestic American Ginseng

1. Imported American ginseng: Imported American ginseng is white in color, with fine and dense transverse lines on the surface, light in weight, low in powdery texture, a relatively flat cross-section, slightly mealy, with fine chrysanthemum-like veins, a fragrant and strong odor, a slightly sweet and bitter taste, a refreshing mouthfeel, and a flavor that lingers in the mouth for a long time.

2. Domestic American ginseng: Domestic American ginseng has coarse and sparse transverse lines on the surface, is heavy and hard, is full of powdery texture, has an uneven cross-section, and the inner layer of the slices is mostly solid without chrysanthemum-heart veins, with no distinctive fragrance. When chewed, it is strongly bitter or bland, and after a long time it becomes bland and slightly astringent, sticking to the tongue.

Production Area Environment of American Ginseng

1. Temperature: Changes in temperature have an obvious effect on the growth and development of American ginseng. Research shows that American ginseng emerges 10-30 days later than ginseng in China. The reason is that American ginseng has a temperature requirement more than 5°C higher than that of ginseng. It can emerge only when the air temperature reaches above 10°C and the soil temperature (10 cm deep) is above 7°C. The plant can grow and develop normally only when the air temperature is above 20°C and the soil temperature (10 cm deep) is about 15°C. It can flower and set seed only when the air temperature is about 28°C and the soil temperature (10 cm deep) is about 20°C. When the air temperature is below 12-14°C and the soil temperature (5 cm deep) is 10°C, it enters the withering period. Therefore, the air temperature throughout the entire growth period of American ginseng is between 10-28°C. The growth period of the aboveground part is 130-150 days.

2. Moisture: Although American ginseng originated in North America, and the latitude of North America is similar to that of most regions of China, the rainfall and altitude are different. During the growth period, American ginseng requires relatively high air humidity (annual precipitation of about 1000 mm), and grows poorly in dry places with low humidity and large day-night temperature differences. For example, although the American ginseng cultivated in the Heilongjiang Forest Botanical Garden is frequently sprayed with water, it is still not as good as the American ginseng planted in the mountainous area of the Longfengshan Ginseng Farm in Wuchang County, because Wuchang County has a cool climate and high humidity, which can promote the growth of American ginseng. Insufficient water can lead to reduced yield or poor growth of American ginseng, and it is prone to diseases, but too much water and water accumulation in the ginseng bed are also unfavorable to growth.

3. Light: Light is an indispensable condition for the development of American ginseng. Having long grown under the natural forest environmental conditions of North America, it has formed a semi-shade ecological habit and needs to grow under relatively weak light conditions, so cultivation in China requires building simple sheds for shading. It prefers slanted light and scattered light, and avoids strong light, especially direct light around noon, which can damage the plants and cause sunscald. Therefore, cultivation under forests can often improve the quality of American ginseng.

4. Ventilation: Good ventilation conditions are necessary for the growth and development of American ginseng, and can regulate the concentrations of carbon dioxide and oxygen as well as temperature and humidity to meet the needs of American ginseng growth and development. However, strong wind can cause American ginseng to lodge. In areas with forests as barriers, wind damage is reduced.

5. Soil: Soil is the foundation for the growth and development of American ginseng. It absorbs water and mineral nutrients from the soil, and the quality of the soil is the key to determining the growth and development of American ginseng. Acidic forest humus soil can meet the requirements of American ginseng for water, fertilizer, air, heat, and pH, and makes it easy to obtain high yields. Therefore, newly developed forest humus soil must be selected for planting American ginseng. However, after many years of planting, the soil fertility is greatly consumed, causing the soil to be damaged in both physical and chemical properties and to tend toward alkalinity, and the disease-causing bacteria harmful to American ginseng in the soil increase. Therefore, soil that has been planted with ginseng cannot be used to plant ginseng again, and must be improved or rested for several decades before ginseng can be planted.

6. Terrain: Terrain conditions also have a certain effect on the cultivation of American ginseng, because they affect ecological factors such as light, temperature (air temperature and soil temperature), and moisture (rainfall, atmospheric humidity, and soil water content), and among these ecological conditions, some play a leading role in the growth and development of American ginseng. On the same plot of land, emergence and seedling survival differ with different slopes, and the seedling survival rate is higher on slopes and loess. In addition, flat terrain without slope, where the plot is prone to water accumulation, can cause American ginseng to suffer from rust rot. Altitude also has a great effect on the growth of American ginseng. Generally speaking, for every 1000 m increase in altitude, the temperature drops by 5.5°C, so American ginseng cultivation in southern China is all carried out on mountains.