Wild Virginia Ginseng Season Now Underway

Virginia’s 935 thousand dollar Ginseng harvest is now in full swing. Ginseng, the slow-growing, shade loving perennial grows wild in Virginia’s forests. Harvesting the elusive plant is big business, with strict regulations, protecting the plant that is valued for its medicinal herb. Removing Ginseng from Federal lands could cost you a fine of up to five thousand dollars and six months in jail. Violation of Virginia’s wild Ginseng harvest regulations is punishable by imprisonment for up to 12 months and up to a 25 hundred dollar fine. Nearly 18 hundred pounds of Ginseng was harvested in 2020. If you are thinking about harvesting Ginseng, plan to take some time. It takes between 250 and 300 roots to acquire one pound of wild Ginseng.