TOPIC: New to forum, need advice

Steel...

I have to agree with others, what you have found there (plant top and root) is not ginseng.

First....

Below is a map that shows the range of wild ginseng. Notice it grows in the East (to North East) side of the US.

That is the natural range of wild ginseng.

Growing it successfully outside of that range would be very difficult, if not impossible based on my 4 years of growing experience.

It is very picky about where it lives and thrives. Even inside that natural wild range... probably less than 10% of that map area would actually grown wild ginseng.

TNhunter

Second...

Hugh provided a nice pick of a wild ginseng plant. Below is another from my area.

I harvested hundreds of wild ginseng plants this fall, and do that every year (since around 1976).

The tallest plant that I have ever found was in the 24\"-30\" height range. Note - I live in Tennessee.

In the mountains in the east, it does get a little taller than that. 36\" tall is a monster plant height wise and very unusual to see.

The plant below was one of the tallest I harvested this year and it was in the 20\" range.

Notice the look of the top, the berries, the shape of the leaves. Nothing at all like your top.

TNhunter

And lastly..

the roots..

Below is a pic of the batch of roots I harvested, dried and sold this year.

Notice the color of the roots, size and shape. Again - nothing at all like your picture.

What you have there may be some type of useful plant, not sure, but it is not ginseng.

Best of luck finding some someday. I think you will have to travel East (as in east of the Missippi) to accomplish that.

TNhunter