# A first for me!



## trout (Jan 17, 2000)

I have searched my whole life looking for this plant.
I've always had a hard time trying to ID it as many pictures never really show it well.
Well now I have seen it in person thanks to Linda G. and I will continue to seek it out with confindence.








I also saw about three other differnt plant species that made my first list while up north!
Thanks Linda!


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## Lunker (Aug 27, 2001)

Is that a ginseng plant?
awesome!!! Im still looking...did you find any with the red berries on it still?


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## trout (Jan 17, 2000)

It sure is!
They had berries on them except this plant didn't and those that did were still green.
I imagine the plants further south are a few weks behind from those up north.
Yeah I'm still looking to find some down my way as well.
Not to pick, but to save for future generations to see and respect.


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## Bow Hunter Brandon (Jan 15, 2003)

trout said:


> It sure is!
> They had berries on them except this plant didn't and those that did were still green.
> I imagine the plants further south are a few weks behind from those up north.
> Yeah I'm still looking to find some down my way as well.
> Not to pick, but to save for future generations to see and respect.



Glad to hear that Trout I often hear of reports on the west side of a park with people poaching it to sell. I would love to see it some time because its so rare. Guess I will keep my eys open.


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## Banditto (Jun 9, 2000)

Can you describe what type of areas it grows in? because I believe it grows all over by one of my tree stands.

Edit: I just looked up info on the plant. Yes it grows literally everywhere by one of my tree stands.


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## Linda G. (Mar 28, 2002)

Banditto-what you're seeing is probably sasparilla, which makes a good chewing gum and a good tea, but it's not ginseng. Experts mistake sarsparilla for ginseng every day-there are very subtle differences. 

Ginseng has very small teeth on the leaves, but the biggest difference is that the leaves "prong" on their own stem from a single stem, which is NOT woody-sarsparilla is woody in texture...

Ginseng is also a very low growing plant, usually not more than a couple of inches off the ground, and it grows in patches, not widespread all over the place. It is very specific in its growing requirements. 

I am at the point where I am going to take soil ph tests to determine what type of soil it prefers, but I can tell you that it likes hardwood hillsides, I have maple, basswood, and some beech in my areas. It does not like oak areas, too acidic, I think, although oak grows a short distance away. It needs some sunlight, but not too much...and grows in concert with cohosh and goldenseal, which are fairly easy to recognize. I've also noticed that it grows where the maidenhair fern grows. 

Ginseng berries are red, different from sarsparilla, which doesn't produce berries at the same time, and produces seed more than regular berries. Ginseng berries are incredibly popular with wildlife, and when it looks like they're close to ripening, GET THERE, before the wildlife gets them. 

The final identification is the root itself, which will be 4-8 inches long-mature 3-4 prong plants will have "rings" denoting the age of the plant, and has a crude "man-shape"...you won't find that type of root on a sarsparilla. 

Once you dig up a ginseng plant, which I don't recommend until the plant begins to go dormant in September, PLEASE re-plant it...but put a silent marker on it, and remember where it is-ginseng is protected, and if you can prove it's on that property, it may be very helpful to you when developers try to build condos on it. 

I also recommend that if you find it, you list it's location with the Michigan Natural Features Inventory list in Lansing-Mike Piscar is the guy to talk to. 

It's likely that there is a lot more ginseng in southern MI than in northern MI, since we are at the far edge of its range up here, but there is some wild ginseng in the western UP, specifically, in Menominee, Ontonagon, and Gogebic counties. It's farmed commercially in some parts of the western UP and in some parts of sw Michigan, near Kalamazoo, and those plants, because they are fertilized and have no competition from other wild plants, are much larger, bushier plants that grow much faster-they will have two prongs at 3-4 years of age, 3 at 5...wild plants, which have a much higher value on the black market, will take 10 years or more to mature at 3 prongs, maybe 30 years to get the elusive 4th prong-which I have never seen. I hope I live long enough to see this one plant that Trout photographed develop that 4th prong. 

I think there's a lot more out there than we think, but no one knows what it looks like, so...that's why I show trusted friends, like Trout, where my patch is...he will now know how to recognize it, protect it, and use its location to help preserve our wild places. 

Check with your local USDA office, they have lots of info on ginseng.


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## Banditto (Jun 9, 2000)

Now you got me wondering. I couldn't find really good pictures of it. But it may be sasparilla. The plants do like very much alike. I guess the only way to figure it out is to dig one up, not to ingest though as it doesn't agree with me.


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## Ed Michrina (Dec 25, 2002)

I had no idea we had Ginsing in Michigna. Thanx for the info on the plant Linda G. I now know why it's had to find . but what good is the plant? Does it have any good qualitits or is it more like a myth IE rino horn ect?


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## Banditto (Jun 9, 2000)

No, it really does something. Cause it makes my heart race if I drink the tea, like I slammed 4 cups of coffee.


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