Diggin’ Roots and Remembering Old Lessons

Ginseng - close-up of a 3-pronger. 3 compound leaves with 5 leaflets each and the berries just beginning to form in the middle of the leaves.

Don’t you just have to grin every time one your parent’s lessons from your childhood presents itself in everyday life? It’s amazing how little we, as children, thought our parents knew compared to how wise we later discover they actually were. Unfortunately, it seems we only discover this revelation after we become parents ourselves. >Seems to be one of God’s little ironies – parents have most of the answers but we, as children, can’t absorb the answers until after we’ve learned by fire. And man was that fire hot this weekend when I was reminded that those same life-lessons my parents preached back then still hold true today even within the laws of nature.

Side view of a 3-pronger with developing seed pod in the middle.

I remember Mom telling me, “Anything worth working for is worth working hard for.” And Dad used to say, “You don’t appreciate something you get for free as much as something you have to work for.” Needless to say, outside of birthdays and Christmas I got very little given to me! Want a new fishing pole? Then haul some hay. Want a new gun? Then cut and sell some firewood. Want some ginseng? Then scout the woods in August and harvest in September while sweating profusely, getting poison ivy, avoiding copperheads and rattlesnakes, and getting full of chiggers and tiny seed ticks.

After fighting all the creepy crawlies there's no doubt Ginseng is worth working for. The One-Eyed Hillbilly with a beautiful 3-pronger.

Harvesting ginseng, or Seng’n as it’s known in root digging circles, is a true Ozark adventure and you will work hard to accomplish the task. Once you’ve invested enough time to regularly recognize the plant in the wild you will have developed an appreciation for the root digger’s grit as well as an appreciation for the natural health treasure you’ve found. And trust me, a time investment it is, for just as a morel mushroom hunter would never give up his favorite mushroom harvesting beds, a root digger will never voluntarily take you to his favorite wild ‘seng hunting grounds. You will have to learn on your own. And, like morels, ginseng is worth its weight in gold for some folks. Ginseng folk lore mixed with some actual scientific studies has created a reputation for the root that makes it a naturally grown panacea, or cure-all. If it even almost lives up to its reputation it’s easy to understand why pharmaceutical companies are, to this day, studying and analyzing the compoundsfound in ginseng in order to determine why those compounds provide relief for the various afflictions and diseases commonly treated by this root.

If you want to find out for yourself about the benefits of this world renowned root, start with the basics. Generally you find ginseng on north and east facing slopes in well drained, rich soil that has abundant leaf litter. The plant grows best in areas with a dense tree canopy shading out approximately 75% of the direct sunlight. There are a few signature trees, plants, and weeds known to grow in the same general areas as ginseng and when you find these different plants you are generally on the right track. Elm, sugar maple, and oak are some of the trees that tend to grow in the same soil and terrain as ginseng. Jack-in-the-pulpit, Christmas ferns, and goldenseal are a few of the plants, or “good weeds” that often grow in the vicinity of ginseng. From the description you can see ginseng grows in the thick, dense areas that aren’t easy to get to.

Jewelweed for getting rid of poison ivy after hunting ginseng.

A mature ginseng plant stands approximately 6 to 18 inches tall. It will have 3 to 4 compound leaves (prongs) with 5 leaflets each and in the late summer red berries are present in the middle of the prongs. Missouri Department of Conservation regulations state that only 3 pronged mature plants can be legally harvested and the 3 prongs must remain attached to the root during transportation to the harvester’s home. Legal harvest season for ginseng in Missouri is September 1 through December 31 and selling season extends through March 15. Personally, I do not harvest any ginseng for sale at the market. I believe we should take great caution in this enterprise for fear of over harvest, much like the market hunting of wildlife in the 19th Century and the wildlife disaster that resulted of this ill-conceived practice. I enjoy harvesting from Mother Nature only what I can use personally. And, state law dictates that the seeds of the ginseng plant must be planted within 100 feet of the harvested 3 prong mature plant.

Jewelweed Poultice applied to area with poison ivy. In a sauce pan in 1 cup of water, simmer crushed leaves and stalk. Pour contents on a piece of gauze and apply to effected area. It works!

I believe the Creator has presented man with very few ailments for which he has not also provided a remedy in Nature. The Indians and mountain men knew these natural cures and remedies that today many have forgotten. This past weekend I ventured to find some ginseng for harvest later in September while keeping the ancient health and healing lore of our forefathers alive. In today’s world I believe there is great wisdom in trusting to the old ways of those who entrusted Mother Nature for their sustenance, health, and healing. This past weekend my parent’s old lesson of appreciating what you’ve worked for came to the forefront. I got poison ivy, chiggers, and a load of seed ticks while hunting in the August heat. Man, I sure appreciate those roots a whole lot more than any that someone would give me…I think. So says the One-Eyed Hillbilly

Greg Stephens is a 35-year veteran & life-time student of the great outdoors. His column appears weekly in print & online publications. You can email him at gregstephens@one-eyedhillbilly.com. For more columns go to www.one-eyedhillbilly.blogspot.com.