The US Fish and Wildlife Service has banned exports of immature wild ginseng roots, in an effort to protect the plant from becoming endangered. The ban does not affect cultivated ginseng. A scarcity of mature wild roots has led many wildcrafters to harvest immature plants that have not yet produced seeds. In some states, a 40 percent increase in harvesting and poaching has been seen in state and national parks, in order to meet high Asian demand. Wild ginseng commands a price of $250 to $300 per pound, a figure 10 times that of cultivated roots.
Nutraceuticals International, September 1999.
